Old burying Ground on Mechanic Street
WESTFIELD—The Old Burying Ground will be coming alive during the first weekend in October for the Westfield Historical Commission’s fourth annual Ghost Tour.
The tour, which runs Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, will provide attendees with the chance to learn about Westfield history, particularly about those buried at the Old Burying Ground, as well as help to raise money to repair headstones there. All proceeds from ticket purchases go toward restoring the headstones.
Cindy Gaylord, kneeling, discussing headstone cleaning procedures at the Old Burying Ground.
“It’s mostly historic and that’s what people love about it—it’s not your typical fright night,” Cindy Gaylord, chairperson for the Westfield Historical Commission, said about the event.
“We research 10 to 12 stones and the person comes to life as an actor,” she said. “And it’s not scary except that you’re in a cemetery—but no blood and gore.”
The tour features some of the more interesting and prominent people buried at the roughly 350-year-old cemetery, including General William Sheppard and colonial American poet Reverend Edward Taylor.
However, this year there will also be some new faces.
“We brought in some new people. They are just regular people with interesting back stories,” Gaylord said.
“One was a spy during the revolutionary war, another owned a tavern that hosted Sons of Liberty to meet—this was considered treason,” she said.
Gaylord said that the tour has become a surprise hit for residents, often selling out within weeks, with people coming from as far as Connecticut to experience the event.
Participants from last year’s ghost tour. (Photo provided by Cindy Gaylord)
Part of this, she said, is due to the crew—all volunteer—that puts it all together. The set up includes lighting, costumes, script writing and acting. And some of the actors even have a bit of local appeal, including city advancement officer Joe Mitchell, former state senator Michael Knapik and The Westfield News’ owner Patrick Berry.
Tickets went on sale yesterday and will be on sale until all 320 are sold out. They can be purchased at The Athenaeum at $10 a ticket. Children under 8 are suggested not to attend. Showtimes are 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on both days, and the tour is an hour long.
