Views of the main entrance flagpole garden.
The Friends of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Inc., has a Mission: to promote the beautification, appreciation of and advancement of the Cemetery, which provides a peaceful venue to reflect on the lives of the people buried here.
The summer months have brought the combined attentive efforts of the Board members of The Friends to the three gardens for which we take responsibility in the Cemetery. Each is pictured below.
Our commitment focuses on the purchasing and placement of appropriate plants, weeding, and watering, especially needed in these temperatures. We do so in keeping with our Mission to further the beautification of these hallowed grounds.
We trust that our many Friends enjoy viewing what we continue to accomplish, with gratitude to our supporters.
The Board wishes each of you the continuation of a pleasant summer.
Views of the main entrance flagpole garden.
View of the H. Thurston and Carolyn Handley Commemorative Garden.
Veterans Flagpole Garden with recently installed blue stone pavers, one inscribed.
Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution to our 501(c)(3) organization. Each donation is personally acknowledged.
Recently, representative Board Directors gave their services as they have done in the past to clean selected grave markers in the Cemetery as a project, consistent with the Mission of The Friends to continuing the enhancement and beautification of the Cemetery, one of Concord's treasures. The work was carried out under the skilled direction of Board member Jim Fannin and his wife Minxie, principals of their Restorative Consultants firm.
Left to right: Kevin Thomas Plodzik, John Gardella, Nancy Reilly, Sarah Kirkpatrick, Sue Leone, Paul Murphy, Beth Stone Railsback, Jim Fannin, Sylvia Sawyer, Minxie Fannin, Priscilla White Sturges.
On May 25th, 2023, the Concord Historical Commission awarded in a public ceremony a 2023 Landscape Preservation Award to The Friends. The Award recognizes the preservation, restoration, or maintenance of landscapes, grounds, and gardens related to historic sites. We extend sincere gratitude to the Historical Commission for this distinctive honor, as we continue our service to the Cemetery in this third decade. Our Mission cannot be realized without the extensive support of our donors via our Annual Fall Appeal. Once again, we thank each of you heartily. Joining Board President Kevin Thomas Plodzik at the Awards Ceremony were colleague Directors John Gardella, Nancy Reilly, and Jim Fannin. Also in attendance was Priscilla White Sturges.
The Board accepted the kind invitation from two local organizations to present information about The Friends to their members. These were the Concord Rotary Club and The Council on Aging. Two Directors of our Board, Priscilla White Sturges and Kevin Thomas Plodzik, shared, either via ZOOM or in a hybrid format, our history, accomplishments, and future plans, with audiences, and entertained questions. We extend full appreciation to the two hosting organizations for providing these opportunities. The Concord Chamber of Commerce offered the opportunity to us to present a “Spotlight Video” featuring our organization. Cordial appreciation is extended to the Chamber. The video clip was filmed most recently on location in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, narrated by Kevin Thomas Plodzik, and shown on the Chamber’s website. Through the courtesy of the Managing Director of the Chamber, the Video is available to watch here.