It’s always encouraging to discover new projects that honor our ancestors. One way to make certain they are remembered is to preserve their burial data for future generations, especially when tombstones can become difficult to read over time.

Genealogy and history enthusiasts in the town of Westport, Massachusetts have done just that, and put it all into an online database called the Westport Historic Private Cemeteries. The project was years in the making and brought a number of dedicated volunteers together to make it happen.

The database contains information on 102 cemeteries comprising 1,497 burials, and can be searched by name, cemetery, and other options. It also features a special section for veterans, who’re listed by the conflicts in which they served, from the Revolutionary War to the Korean War.

The data has also been placed on hard copy and DVD at the Westport Historical Commission, Westport Public Library, and the Westport Historical Society. The data elements include the cemetery name, location, square footage, assessor’s map and lot number, number of gravestones engraved and number of unmarked field stones, most recent and latest dates of death, and other information. A digital photograph, GPS readings, a burial ground sketch map, and historical narratives are also included.

Tombstone photo above shows grave of Sarah Bally in Westport’s Captain Bally Cemetery. Courtesy: Westport Historic Private Cemeteries