HERITAGE WALKING TOUR PINE HILL CEMETERY DOVER,N.H. JUNE 1992THE STORIES STONES TELL: GRAVESTONE ART Early New England gravestones are a unique expression of primitive art: a reflection of the beliefs, philosophies, and fashions of the 17th and 18th centuries uniquely expressed in stone. A largely illiterate population was taught about man's confrontation with death and the afterlife through this artform, New England's earliest form of creative sculpture. The images carved on the fieldstones and the slate slabs were intended not only to honor the dead, but also to teach lessons to those still living. The close proximity of burying-grounds to church meet- inghouses was fuel for many "fire and brimstone" sermons by New England's first Puritan ministers. In fact, gravestone art was the only image-making indulgence allowed by the stern Puritan congregation because the symbolism of the carved icons was seen as a concrete way to convey the message of the mortality of man and the blessings of heaven. All the minis- ter had to do was point outside the meetinghouse windows to illustrate his point about the certainty of death. Indeed, the earliest examples of gravestone art (ca.1620 =71700 and not seen at Pine Hill Cemetery) are laden with disturbing, frightening images of winged "death's heads" and skulls and skeletons. Usually portrayed with lifeless eyes and a toothful grin, these death's heads reflected the beliefs of a people who suffered the rigors of a severe cli- mate, famine, epidemics, and Indians. Death was a fearsome, and often sudden, prospect. So it is not surprising to see images of the grim reaper snuffing out the candle of life, or hollow-eyed grinning skulls beckoning to passersby with the now famous epitaph: As you are now, So once was I, As I am now, So you must be. So prepare for Death. And follow me. These 17th century stones reinforced the inevitability of our mortal end, emphasized life's brevity, and highlighted the awesome power of death. They were also symbolic of the belief that death was final, the ultimate end, death tri- umphant!During the early years of the 18th century (about the time Pine Hill Cemetery was begun), changing religious attitudes and the influence of other sects such as the Congregationalists and the Quakers were responsible for the portrayal of less formidable figures and designs. The fright- ful death's head evolved into a "soul effigy," its features rounded out and softened. By the 1750s the sorrowful soul had become a "winged cherub” and death was viewed not as "the end" but rather as a time when the soul lifted upward to heaven where it would dwell with the Lord. The quality of materials and workmanship improved greatly during this century too. Whereas the earliest graves were carved out of raw roughhewn fieldstones with little added decoration or artistic finesse, by the early 1700s slate quarries were operating in New England and the close- grained quality of fine slate allowed for minute detailing and more delicate carving styles. Where stonecutting was originally a part-time job usually done by handcraftsmen like woodcarvers, cordwainers, masons, bricklayers, slaters and surveyors, the growing population meant, of course, more deaths and stonecutters could be assured of steady work year- round. Historians have traced many of the prominent stone- cutters of early New England, their work identifiable by the peculiarities of carving a particular letter, similar phrasing or epitaphs, or a fondness for a specific image symbol or decorative element. Stonecutters sometimes cut their initials into the base of the monument and often reused old stones where traces of an even older death notice can be deciphered under the newer carving. Marble was not popular as gravestone material until the late 1700s, but quartzite and sandstone were used exten- sively. At one time it was believed that the stones came from England, imported here as ballast in ships crossing the Atlantic. But 20th century geological investigations have proved that almost all New England gravestones were “harvested” right here. The overall shape of a gravestone has varied little throughout history: they were meant to suggest a doorway to heaven or a passageway to the unknown.