Today’s video is a stroll through Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cemetery, which is directly behind the church of the same name in Charlotte, Vermont. It is not visible from the street, but is very much so from the parking lot. Added bonus: there is a parking lot light near the cemetery, which suggests a tiny bit of light may be possible!
The ground was exceptionally wet with deep puddles in places. It even appeared that drainage channels were being added in a few spots. That soggy ground coupled with frost heaves and an uphill terrain has taken a toll on multiple headstones and monuments. As you watch my video, you’ll see several have toppled and broken and many more are about to follow suit.
Walking amongst those headstones proved too challenging for me. My cane was sinking into the ground, which offered no sure footing. If you venture there yourself this time of the year, wear waterproof boots.
There is a newer section off to the right, which is flat. Yet, some of those gravestones are to meet a similar fate. I noted one in particular that was leaning back precariously.
“Nestled along a row of trees near Baptist Corners in Charlotte is the second oldest Catholic Church in continuous use in Vermont. It was built in the Greek Revival style. White sided, with tall double wooden doors, it stands as it has since 1858, for 145 years a marker in time.
The cemetery, behind charts the births and deaths of many of the church’s earliest members, with names such as Raftery, Dufresne and Lessort. The largest stone belongs to the Quinlan family, erected to honor John Quinlan, the man who led a group of thirty Catholic families in the building of Our Lady of Mount Carmel….”-https://olmcvt.org/church-history
