Hamaker Farm Cemetery
Discovered August 6, 2002
Dedication 9 AM Saturday July 26, 2003
A
formal dedication ceremony is scheduled for Saturday July 26, 2003 at
Hershey West Plant (originally Adam's homestead) at 9:00 a.m. This
is the
dedication of Johann Adam Hamacher's family gravesite, that Hershey Foods has
uncovered near one of their plants. Please let Brenda Gaspari know if you are able to attend. Hershey would like her to keep a count of how many will be attending. They are
providing
chairs, etc. It will be a short (15 min.) ceremony. With time
then
allotted us to freely walk the grounds. Brenda is also trying to
find a place
where we can all meet afterwards for a breakfast brunch. Again,
before she
can locate a place, she will need an approximate number of people.
Please send email to Brenda and let her know if you plan to attend.
She
will send an email to everyone who let her know they will be attending
with final details.
Here is some more detail on the plans for the cemetery.
Hershey Foods Corporation has done a really great job with this
project.
Please write them and express your thanks.
Ms. Kathleen Lewis, President
Derry Township Historical Society
PO Box 316
Hershey, PA 17033
April
7, 2003
As you know,
we previously communicated to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission (PHMC) and the Dauphin Co. Coroner, on August 12, 2002, the
existence of an unmarked family burial plot, discovered on the property of
Hershey Foods Corporation during excavation activities for a building
expansion. The site is
located west of the existing improvements at 1033 West Chocolate Ave.,
Derry Township, PA. Subsequent
to this find, Hershey Foods Corporation retained Skelly & Loy to
perform an archeological delineation, the scope of which was agreed to by
PHMC and the Dauphin County Coroner.
The findings of this delineation were reported in the Skelly &
Loy report titled Hamaker Cemetery Delineation, ER. #90-1892-043,
copies of which were submitted to PHMC and the Dauphin County Coroner’s
office on October 11, 2002.
With the
identification of up to 19 separate stones and 11 suspected graves, the
options for handling the identified site were relocation or preservation.
Based upon these findings and recommendations, the following plan for the
preservation of the site and allowing access was submitted and
subsequently approved by the PHMC on March 11, 2003. (see attached letter)
Preservation Plan:
·
The cemetery
perimeter would consist of a rectangular area, the nearest point being a
minimum of approximately 25-ft. from the nearest identified grave.
·
Within this
perimeter, topsoil will be carefully placed utilizing hand placement over
the top of the identified graves and machine placement within the balance
of the perimeter.
·
Surrounding areas
will be graded; topsoil placed and seeded such that the cemetery perimeter
is not subjected to erosion.
·
The cemetery area
will be seeded with a suitable lawn grass.
·
The 11 suspected
graves will have permanent brass or other suitable marker pins placed to
preserve the location of the graves.
·
A low field stone
wall will be constructed which will incorporate some of the significant
stone markers found on the site for display.
It is anticipated that this wall will be approximately 4’H x
30’L. A historical plaque
also would be incorporated into this low wall.
·
A wrought iron
style fence, approximately 3ft.- 4ft. high, with gate, will be constructed
around the cemetery perimeter.
·
A man gate will
be added in the existing chain link security fence.
·
Gravel will be
installed under the fence to ease maintenance mowing.
·
A formal
dedication ceremony may be scheduled, depending on the level of public
interest.
All access
requests will be handled through:
Hershey Foods
Corporation Public Affairs
100 Crystal A
Drive, Hershey PA., 17033.
Requests
should be in writing and state the following:
·
The desired date,
time and length of the visit
·
The number of
visitors and contact information to reach the requestor
·
The nature of
interest in the cemetery
Visitors also
will be required to sign a waiver of liability as a requirement of
granting access.
Hershey Foods
Corporation believes that the preservation
plan above reflects a appropriate balance between respect for the
cemetery, the rights of the descendents, and the liability and security
needs of Hershey Foods Corporation as land owner of the parcel.
Hershey also recognizes that land use needs may change over time
requiring modification of the proposed plan outlined above.
We hope to
have the preservation work completed mid to late May, 2003.
Sincerely,
Joseph P.
Ulrich, P.E.
Principal
Engineer
Hershey Foods
Corporation
Believed to be the cemetery where the 1740 immigrant Johann Adam Hamacher is buried
Photo by Anne Searer
NOTE: THE ABOVE STONE IS BELIEVED TO BE FOR A DAUGHTER of Johann Adam Hamacher and his second wife Anna. I will put the translation obtained by Anne Searer shortly.
Some additional info from Email from Anne Searer
On August 6, workers at the expansion project for the Hershey West plant
were scooping top soil to fill in near the new structure when one of the
workers noticed stones that were not native to the area. I have been
told that they stopped work and called in authorities. Chris
Espenshade of
Skelly and Lowe Inc. was assigned to be the archaeologist. Because I
have been responsible for recording cemeteries for the Derry Township
Historical Society, a reporter from Channel 27, Amanda Martin, contacted
me on Monday, August 19 and she developed the story from there. Joel
Ulrich at Hershey Foods is coordinating the project.
The land was originally warranted to Michael Cassel but patented to Adam
Hamaker I. The stones that were identified so far were those of Adam
and Eve and date from 1784 when Adam died. They say they have found
a total of 11 graves - 2 adults and 9 children. They have two to
three large stones and about l7-18 small stones (they could be foot stones
or infant stones). The stone for Adam looks like it was carved
yesterday - just
broken into several pieces. (The picture I took does not show the
detail very well.) The stones were buried about one foot below the
surface. They postulate that this stone was probably plowed under
shortly after Adam (or actually Ana) died because it is so well preserved.
Many of the stones are of purple sandstone. Several are granite.
They have also found the stone for Eve', who was Adam's first wife but the
stone is covered by a tarp and not in the open. It appears that Adam died
before Ana, his second wife. as Ana's name is scratched above his name on
his stone.
Stones are in German script, cursive script, and Adam's stone is a plain
script and totally legible except for the cracks.
Other fragments that can be read in part are:
Here rests / Sarah - the letters are in German script.
A.H. and has the same shape as Adam's headstone - most likely
Adam's
footstone.
starb (died)
1st AD 182? ___ged_____ / Years 8 m. and 10 / Days
Dou (??)
Oct-
The fragments are many and rather small so it will be difficult to
determine what information they once held. Because they have such
different scripts and are of different composition, it may be possible to
determine how many stones by process of elimination. I will
send several
more photos of the different stones. The stones could be infant
stones for children who probably never made it onto the radar screen and
into the
records of genealogists as they probably died very young. Some
bodies were buried as shallow as 3 feet as the rock structure is tough to
dig through. I have been told that some were buried in coffins - they have
found a brass hinge and several wooden coffin nails. The site itself
is not too near the main construction site as they were only excavating
that area in order to obtain backfill for the construction.
The site is now covered with several tarps and potential burial sites are
marked off with tape. The lawyers are now looking into the possible
resolution to the problem as to what to do next and whose responsibility
is it anyway. The archaeologist is still doing research and getting
information about the family and land transfers.
I am hoping that Hershey Foods will decide to leave the site as it is and
surround it with a period fence, reconstruct some of the stones from the
pieces, set them upright, and provide access.
If you have any questions, please let me know and I will try to find out.
I do not think that there is any timetable at present. The whole
town is so upset by the recent possibility of the Hershey Trust selling
Hershey Foods that there is little else in the papers or on the tube.
Anne
Page Updated: 05/24/03