Programs and Projects

Throughout the year, OHCC sponsors several events:

 

Gravestone Cleanings

Monthly gravestone cleaning and restoration workshops at Dale and Sparta Cemeteries. These take place from April to October. Volunteers learn:

  1. Hands-on cleaning techniques

  2. Simple resetting of fallen stones

  3. Local history

  4. Historic cemetery art and traditions

  5. Educational opportunities and community service credits available

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Before and after cleanings

Before and after cleanings

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Historical Cemetery Tours and Presentations

Local historians and storytellers present guided tours of Ossining’s Historic Dale and Sparta Cemeteries, as well as lectures and themed events.

Picnics and Concerts

In keeping with the tradition of 19th-century rural cemeteries, the OHCC sponsors picnics at Dale Cemetery (est. 1851 under the Rural Cemetery Act). Come and enjoy live music as we gather for a quaint picnic on the grass and then take a self-guided tour of the cemetery.

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Dale Cemetery Heritage Trail historic signs

OHCC created and developed the Heritage Trail to make Ossining’s history and culture available to all. This is an ongoing project, with additional grave markers to be added in the future.