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EASTON, Conn. Recent vandalism to headstones at Easton's historic Union Cemetery, where graves date to the 1700s, will cost more than $50,000 to repair, according to a source familiar with the repair of these headstones.
Easton Police Chief James Candee said 55 stones and monuments were knocked over on Aug. 3.
Last summer three stones were knocked over, but Ive never seen anything like this, Candee said. Theres been no damage to this extent, nothing this egregious.
He called on members of the public who may have information about the vandalism to notify the department.
Union Cemetery is the burial ground for Revolutionary War soldiers and is also an active burial ground, with burials from a few weeks ago, said Lisa Burghardt, president of the Historical Society of Easton.
The cemetery is also reputed to be one of the most haunted in the United States, with its White Lady, who appears in a white night gown or wedding dress, the most harrowing figure.
Burghardt believes the myth of the White Lady may have drawn the vandals to the cemetery.
The White Lady didnt do this. People did this, she said. The more we talk about legends, the more vandalism happens. Show some restraint about spirits and ghosts. Find another place to go ghost hunting, this is a burial ground.
She said some of the stones were broken in more than one place, cant be replaced and will be difficult and costly to repair. It takes three months to fix one stone and costs $1,000 or more if its a complicated obelisk.
She added that there is no insurance to cover the damage and no guarantee the stones and monuments will be fixed.
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