About The current status and a brief history of the Barber's Burying Ground
A repaired headstone. Photo taken in the summer of 2015.
For many years, an association of local citizens worked to maintain and preserve the cemetery grounds. That association was formed in 1888 but at some point in the past was desolved, often leaving the responsibility of cemetery care to a single, dedicated individual or family.
Recently, a local group of Delaware Township residents formed a new association and registered the Barber's Burying ground as a corporation. This filing was completed in 2013.
The sole purpose of this corporation is to assist in maintaining the site as an active cemetery and in preserving and documenting its historic heritage. Current members of the association include:
The association holds an annual business meeting for the election of new officers and to discuss current issues and future plans. In addition to incorporation, other filings required by the State of New Jersey to maintain an active cemetery are completed on an ad hoc basis. These include applications for cemetery and business registration, public records disclosure, and registration for New Jersey Tax Exempt status.
Once or twice per year, members and other volunteers meet at the cemetery to clean up the grounds and to perform minor repairs.
The original cemetery was located on a single acre of land owned by the Barber family and it is in this section where the historical significance lies. Eventually, as this area became developed, the need to expand the cemetery grounds became evident. A second acre of land, adjoining the existing parcel, was donated by the Kusant family in 1962 and all new burials are located in this area.
Two relevant and interesting articles about the history of this cemetery include an article written in 2008 by local historian Marfy Goodspeed [1], and an undated and unattributed story about the "Dead in Barber's Ground" [2].