Arsenal St. Cemetery welcome kiosk slated

Kathy T. Plante-Hunt hopes the next addition to the ongoing Arsenal Street Cemetery beautification project is up before the snow flies.

Through the work of volunteers and donors, about $3,000 has been raised for a “welcome center” kiosk at the cemetery. The enclosed kiosk will be nearly 12 feet tall and 14 feet wide.

The welcome center was in the back of Mrs. Plante-Hunt's mind when she took on the cemetery project two years ago as part of a home-school project for son Daniel J. Hunt, now 15. At that time, there were loads of brush to clear, flowers to plant and grave markers to clean.

Volunteers have since transformed the cemetery from an eyesore into a park-like setting with a gazebo, benches and a walking bridge.

“In the first year of the project, when ideas were discussed, we wanted a welcome center where there was information about the history of the cemetery and information about the ‘sleepers' there,” Mrs. Plante-Hunt said. “The welcome center will also offer a line of communication about what's going on in the project.”

Mrs. Plante-Hunt said the money for the kiosk was raised through a donation by Massey Furniture Barn and a golf tournament hosted by state, city and county government workers over the summer at Willowbrook Golf Club. The kiosk was designed by Bernier, Carr and Associates, Watertown, and the materials list was created by White's Lumber and Building Supply.

Mrs. Plante-Hunt is searching for a contractor with insurance to volunteer its services to erect the structure.

“I could get volunteers to help them, but I need that professional construction expertise,” Mrs. Plante-Hunt said. “If we don't get that insured contractor this year, we'll just wait.”

The kiosk will be placed just off Sand Street between a red maple tree and an oak tree.

It will include two water-resistant bulletin boards that are divided into three sections. “The board could highlight some historical information and bring it to life,” Mrs. Plante-Hunt said.

She also plans to install a box where visitors could drop off contact information if they want more information about people buried at the cemetery, she said.

The kiosk also will note volunteers who played a role in the refurbishing of the cemetery.

“I like giving credit where credit is due,” Mrs. Plante-Hunt said. “Especially the ones who made it to work out in the rain and the mud.”

About 500 bodies are buried in Arsenal Street Cemetery. It was established by a resolution of the Watertown Village Common Council in 1824 but wasn't fully established as an “official” cemetery until 1825. Lots were assigned to village taxpayers.

There are reports that indicate burials may have taken place there as early as 1811. The most recent headstone records a death in 1970. The cemetery is the final resting place of many pioneers of the Watertown community and war veterans ranging from the Revolutionary War up through the Civil War.

Anyone who wants to volunteer for the Arsenal Street Cemetery project can contact Mrs. Plante-Hunt at 788-3306 or write to her at kplantehunt@hotmail.com