land use history of my phenology sites.
From the beginning of October to now, I have updated this blog with pictures and observations from three different places- Greenmount Cemetery in Burlington, Trinity Campus in Burlington, and my backyard in Long Island, NY. While looking into the land use history of my first two sites, I couldn’t find much, but looking into my own town provided some insight.
Greenmount Cemetery
Greenmount Cemetery is the oldest in Vermont, and is home to Ethan Allan’s grave. There are graves dating back to the 1700s, and the cemetery is no longer in use for new burials. I wasn’t able to find much about the actual land use history, but the Burlington Parks/Recreation/Waterfront website had this map which highlights a tour route, as well as notable trees and monuments at the cemetery.
Trinity Campus
I couldn’t find specific information about the land use history of Trinity Campus, only a brief history of its time as Trinity College, a small Roman Catholic women’s liberal arts college founded and run by the Sisters of Mercy (the Roman Catholic Women Religious Congregation, not the rock band.) It was founded in 1925 and due to financial issues, its academic programs ended in 2001, and was purchased by the University of Vermont in 2002. It is now UVM’s Trinity Campus.
Calta, Marialisa. “A Catholic Women’s College Prays for a Miracle.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Sept. 1999, www.nytimes.com/1999/09/15/us/a-catholic-women-s-college-prays-for-a-miracle.html.
Trinity College (Burlington, Vt.). “Trinity College Records.” Collection: Trinity College Records | Finding Aids, University of Vermont Libraries, Special Collections, scfindingaids.uvm.edu/repositories/2/resources/1329.
Port Jefferson, NY
Prior to settlement, Port Jefferson was first home to the Setauket/Setalcott tribe, and it was known as Sowasset, meaning “where water opens.” The settlers of the Town of Brookhaven bought a tract of land from the Setalcott tribe in 1655, along with land on the North Shore of the Nissequogue river eastward to Mount Misery point (now known as one of the most haunted roads in the world!) Prior to 1836, settlers called the town “Drowned Meadow” due to the tides “drowning” the land twice a day. From the 17th century to the mid-19th century, Port Jefferson was a rural community with only five homes. In 1836, a causeway was built across a 22 acre saltwater marsh, which was gradually filled in. Shipbuilding became the town’s primary source of income, with four out of every 10 ships built in Suffolk County being built in Port Jefferson.
“History.” Port Jefferson Historical Society, The Mather House Museum , portjeffhistorical.org/new-pagehistory.