Town of Colchester Cemeteries

Early Postcard of Paige Cemetery, Downsville, New York before the construction of the Pepacton Reservoir

1. Paige Cemetery- In 1832 Dr. George W. Paige presented a lot to the Presbyterian Church for the use as a church burial ground. The cemetery was laid out in 1864. The first person buried there was Edwin H. Elwood, age 17 years, on December 21, 1864. This cemetery was never limited to just church members and has always been used as a township wide burial ground. When the Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Churches merged in 1968, the cemetery was transferred to the Town of Colchester on May 29, 1969. The Town has acquired adjoining properties and has expanded the cemetery from its original eleven acres. This cemetery is located on Route 30/River Street, as you enter the village of Downsville.

2. Old Cemetery or the Covered Bridge Cemetery it is one of the earliest cemeteries in Colchester which dates back to 1736. The first person buried here was a two year old child, Sally Hitt (Hill) who died October 12, 1764. Two Revolutionary War soldiers; William Holliday and William Horton are buried in this cemetery. William Holiday was a blacksmith and armaments maker for the Continental Congress; he also served as a Revolutionary War scout and soldier. He was captured by the British in the Battle of Long Island and made a daring escape through a swamp to rejoin his unit. He moved to Colchester in 1795 where he made his home until he died at the age of 104. William Horton who built the first grist mill in Delaware County and was the first elected Town Supervisor in 1793, member of the New York Assembly in 1798 and an Associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas when it was first organized in Delaware County in 1798. This cemetery is located on the corner of Covered Bridge Road and Warren Drive, in Downsville.

3. Phelps Cemetery is located on the former Alton Neff farm, near the site of the old Colchester Covered Bridge and its earliest grave is dated 1788.

4. Wilson Hollow Cemetery is located near Route 206 and Wilson Hollow in Downsville. The first person buried here was in 1841 and was an infant child of Peter Wilson.

5. Telford Hollow Cemetery is located off the Telford Hollow Road behind the former Mac Terry farm. There are nine graves, all thought to be the family of the one marked grave of Jacob Miller, a Civil War Veteran, he served in the 101^st NY, Company D. (On private property.)

6. MacDonald Road Cemetery (Bennett Family Cemetery) is located just before the Donald Tompkins farm on MacDonald Road.

7. Gregorytown Cemetery is near the junction of Fuller Hill Road and Back River Road, in Gregorytown. This cemetery was laid out in 1855.

9. Horton Cemetery is located one mile from Horton Brook Road on Old Route 17 in Horton. The deed date for this cemetery is September 1, 1892.

10. Cooks Falls Cemetery is located on Cooks Falls Road across from the Cooks Falls/Horton Fire Hall.

11. Russell Brook Cemetery located on Russell Brook near Morton Hill Road junction.

12. Berry Brook Cemetery is located along Berry Brook, on a bank next to the road on the left side going towards Rockland Township. This cemetery may have been the Kinch family cemetery at one time. Many small fieldstone unmarked head and footstones.

Early 1940's photo of Paige Cemetery before the construction of Pepacton Reservoir