A Walk Through the Ancient Yard of St. David’s Churchyard
The earliest section of the St. David’s churchyard, dating from before the stone church was completed in 1715, is known as the Ancient Yard. Within the area surrounded by the three original border walls on the south, east, and partial west, the grounds immediately around the church hold the oldest graves. The graves and the church building are oriented from east to west in accordance with early Christian tradition.
A variety of tombstones are seen in the Ancient Yard. Most of them are the headstone and footstone type with names and dates on the main vertical tablet and initials on the footstone. Another style found is the table or altar tomb where a large horizontal tablet is placed over a fieldstone foundation. The gravestones in this section are made of white marble, blue marble, and some field stone. Early markers of wood or damaged stones were usually replaced with local fieldstone, a common practice in the 18th century. Many notable burials and other 18th century features of St. David’s Ancient Yard reflect the rich history of the parish prior to and during the Revolutionary period.
Etching by parishioner, Frederick De Bourg Richards, 1894
