Characters from Granville of 1825 will come to life in the town’s Old Colony Burying Ground on Oct. 25, reviving the graveyard’s popular tradition of the Historic Ghost Walk. Old Colony is Granville’s pioneer burial ground and features the graves of many of its original settlers as well as those of veterans of five wars.
Cosponsored by the Old Colony Burying Ground Board and the Granville Historical Society, the Ghost Walk will be free and open to the public; however, contributions for improvements in the burying ground will be gratefully accepted.
In 1825, the village of Granville was 20 years old and was settling successfully into a life of growth and progress. Hardship was not far in the past, however, and both opportunity and challenge lay ahead. The costumed “ghosts” who return to tell their stories will reflect this pivotal period 200 years ago.
The Historic Ghost Walk will be a family-friendly event held during daylight hours at the burying ground, which is in the second block of South Main Street in Granville. Attendees can expect to meet “ghostly” members of four early Granville families, who will appear beside their headstones and acquaint their contemporary guests with tales of their experiences two centuries ago in farming, early industry, entrepreneurship and civic leadership. They’ll also touch on social movements such as temperance and abolitionism, as well as developments in education and religion.
Modern-day Granville residents in 19th-century garb will portray members of the Linnell family (Brian Gregory and Emily McCall); the Hillyer family (Andy McCall, Bryn Bird, and Bird’s daughters, Emlyn and Paige Walsh); the Mower family (Jack Wheeler and Louis Shuler); and the Gilman family (Norm Kennedy and Meghan Duvall).
The Historic Ghost Walk will be held on Oct. 25, with a rain date of Oct. 26. Visitors may arrive at any time between 4:30 and 6 p.m. at the lower gate on South Main Street (adjacent to the Granville Milling Car Wash), where tour groups will form every 10 minutes. Groups will be led by guides to visit the four family gravesites sequentially; visitors may then exit the graveyard via the small north gate on South Main. Participation requires walking uphill and over uneven grassy terrain; appropriate footwear is advised.
Information submitted by Lyn Boone.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Celebrate spooky season with Granville’s historic ghost walk Oct. 25
Reporting by Special to Granville Sentinel / Newark Advocate
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