2013 Rewind: Reisterstown Community Cemetery Sees New Life

The Reisterstown Community Cemetery at 19 Cockey's Mill Rd. has seen a lot of life this year. Projects have been done to restore the aging cemetery and people have enjoyed events on the grounds.

In 1763, John Reister, founder of Reisterstown, received a land patent to open a cemetery available to all town residents, helping residents to avoid the burial tax charged by the Church of England, according to a history of the cemetery.  

Over the years, the cemetery has fallen into disrepair so with the help of the Reisterstown Improvement Association, a group of volunteers has started to restore the cemetery.

Over the past few months, the cemetery wall has been rebuilt. In addition, several community events were held at the cemetery this year including a Veteran's Day luminary event and re-enactments. 

Learn more about the Reisterstown Community Cemetery at http://reisterstowncemetery.blogspot.com/. Follow what's happening at the cemetery on the organization's Facebook page. 



Original story as it ran in January 2013

by Marc Shapiro

As the Reisterstown Improvement Association continues its effort to revitalize Main Street, several of its members are also working to preserve the town’s past.

“It’s a very interesting little cemetery,” said Kim Drapkin, an RIA member working to raise funds for the Reisterstown Community Cemetery’s restoration.

The town’s founder, John Reister, and soliders from the Revolutionary War, Civil War and War of 1812 are buried in the cemetery on Cockeys Mill Road.

“The community of Reisterstown actually owns the cemetery, not the church. John Reister deeded it to the community and it has remained that way ever since,” Drapkin said. “Every single person that lives here, we all have a stake in the cemetery.”

Read Linda Percy’s guest column to learn more about the cemetery’s history.

The first step in revitalizing the cemetery is repairing the brick wall that surrounds it, which has crumbled in several places. The cemetery committee and Baltimore County are working with a conservator and a historic mason to insure the cemetery’s restoration is up to historic standards.

Linda Percy, a member of the RIA working on the cemetery restoration, expects the conservator and mason to be at the cemetery this week. Their report should be ready in time to present to the county in February, she said.

The RIA is accepting donations on behalf on the cemetery committee. Checks can be made out to The Reisterstown Improvement Association with The Cemetery Fund in the Memo area and mailed to the Reisterstown Improvement Association, P.O. Box 856, Reisterstown, MD 21136.