Sign erected by the Boy Scouts of America
A sunny day after a night of snowfall we ventured to a cemetery located in Byram Township, New Jersey. A cemetery many pass daily on the heavily traveled northbound of Route 206, however, being tucked away beyond a shallow wall of trees, some don’t even know it exists. The Lockwood cemetery is quite small with a large history that now considers the memorial park to be historic.
Though the sun was shining bright, the tall trees canopied over God’s Acre with their gnarly, leafless limbs fully extended giving the area a haunting, gloomy feeling. The sound of the passing cars seem to dissipate as all was heard were a few Black-Capped Chickadees singing their mesmerizing “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee” song in the trees. Old rusted Wrought Iron fencing that were leaning and split apart lined families blanketed under the snow. We carried on and started to walked through the deep snow within the stone walls along the markers that were visible.
The Lockwood Cemetery was part of the Methodist Episcopal Church that was built near the cemetery in 1835. Though the church no longer stands, the foundation is lined with large stones around it towards the front of the site. The once basement of the church is now filled in and also lined with stones. The church had two entrances, one for the men and one for the women that are now marked with two large, flat stones at each corner of the foundation. The church was ministered by traveling on horseback Ministers called “Circuit Riders” and sadly the church closed its doors in 1859 and moved its congregation to the more modern Waterloo Methodist Church.
Lockwood Methodist Church - Circa 1893 - Photographer Unknown
Waterloo Methodist Church - Circa 1994 - Fosakenly Departed
As per records, there are more than thirty graves with additional headstones but the exact count is unclear due to many headstones either stollen or moved years ago. It is alleged that the first burial took place in 1819, though there isn’t any marker on the grave or indicating where it is. The last burial was 1927 of the Sutton family. American flags peeking through the snow is where the VFW had placed to commemorate veterans who served the Civil War. Again, additional graves are uncertain with a possible Revolutionary War veteran laying to rest.
Prior the expansion of Route 206, the Lockwood Cemetery was on the brink of being paved over. With much discussion it was decided to preserve the cemetery with the church foundation being moved back closer to the cemetery. The Lockwood Cemetery is now owned by the Byram Township and maintained by the Historical Society. Thanks to the Boy Scouts of America, the cemetery is a little more visible due to the newly erected sign. What is left of the Lockwood Cemetery reminds us of the hallowed ground that became a historic memorial park.
There have never been reports or records of any paranormal activity that haunts throughout the Lockwood Cemetery but, the ominous feeling resides as Mother Nature’s surroundings of old trees and whispering winds howl through the cracked and toppled headstones.
