The Lydia Bennitt stone (at right) is probably the most famous stone in the yard - Allan Ludwig uses it as an example of Zerubbabel Collins' later work in Graven Images: New England Stonecarving and its Symbols, 1650-1815. This gravestone is notable for several reasons: it's one of the few marble stones in the area (Collins sent it back to Connecticut after he moved to Vermont in 1778); it's beautiful and intricate; it displays the wonderful name Henchman Bennitt; and it has the price carved on it! I originally thought that the price was supposed to be hidden below ground level, but it is so close to the bottom line of the poem that I'm not entirely convinced. Also, I love the little wig on the soul effigy's head.
The Columbia graveyard slopes down away from the road, ending with a stone wall that marks the border with the woods. The gravestones are bunched close together near the road, but fewer are placed on the bottom of the slope. Very few are near the stone wall, of which these three are the most prominent:
All three stones appear to be the work of Zerubbabel Collins or someone in his workshop. They are stylistically similar to the Lydia Bennitt stone, but are somewhat rougher in their details. The most interesting thing about them is that two of the three explicitly mention the cause of death, which is fairly unusual.
Visitors to Columbia's graveyard will also find the graves of Sarah Wheelock, wife of Eleazer Wheelock, and two of her infant sons.
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