Fairview Cemetery is proud to offer this installment in a series of lectures highlighting the birth, growth, and development of cemeteries in the State of NJ.
The Victorian Age in the U.S. (roughly 1840 to the early 1900s) was a time of innovation and transition from agrarian to industrial society. The Victorian influence prevalent in art and architecture extended from ornate and richly decorated homes to cemeteries, inspiring the creation of more elaborate tributes to our dearly departed. These Victorian-era cemeteries diverged from their Colonial predecessors, and the rise of the Rural Cemetery Movement introduced park-like landscapes and designs that harmonized with nature.
Our guest lecturer, Mark Nonestied, will explore this fascinating period in cemetery history—when simple gravestones gave way to impressive monuments and mausoleums that reflected both changing social ideals and advances in technology—and offer insights into Fairview Cemetery’s own Victorian past.
Mark Nonestied is a historian for Middlesex County and a Division Head with the Middlesex County Division of History and Historic Preservation. An experienced and knowledgeable historian, he is also the co-author of New Jersey Cemeteries and Tombstones: History in the Landscape, published by Rutgers University Press, and has written numerous articles and given many lectures on the topic.
The lecture is scheduled for Sunday, November 9th, at 2:00 pm in the Fairview Cemetery Conference room and will last approximately 90 minutes. The event is free to the public, but you must register below in order to attend. Indoor seating is limited to 35 people, and no unregistered guests will be admitted. Parking is available on the premises.