[culture] [families] [food] [graveyards] [history] [people] [photos] [places] [religion] [resources] [Reese surname resource center]
The Hans Hess farm graveyard is located on Sweigart Hill near Baumgardner in Pequea Twp, Lancaster County.
The caretaker organization for the graveyard at present is unknown.
In 1986 the graveyard was cleaned by the Hess Cemetery preservation Group and the legible stones out of the total of approximately 40 are listed below as it appeared in Mennonite Research Journal, July 1962. There was a graveyard organization at that time and they might have used the local Boy Scouts to tend the place.
The graveyard had since fallen into neglect.
The graveyard is situated within a beautiful square stone wall of about 90' x 105 feet. The wall is a major work of masonry with openings on the east and west faces.
Burials here span the period 1733-1864 and the likelihood of nearly all of the people being related is very strong. There are quite a number of graves and some magnificent large carved slate headstones, regrettably nearly all are broken.
The following is excerpted from the cemetery file at the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, 2215 Millstream Rd, Lancaster, PA:
Hans John Hess who came to America in the year of 1717, had surveyed to him 100 acres of land, on May 27, 1718, in Lampeter township, between the Conestoga River and Mill Creek. later he moved to Conestoga twp, now Pequa, October the 27th, 1778 tract of land in Pequa Map showing land owned by Hans John Hess, located in the community of area Baumgardner Station. In the year 1726 Hans Hess requested 75 acres of land for his first son Jacob Hess, adjoining Hans Ulrich and his own tract.
[Hans John Hess was taxed in Conestoga township, Chester Co., which later became Lancaster County, in the year of 1719 to 1725. He was naturalized in 1729.(All petitioners said to have been here before 1717 or 1718)]
The first house built by Hans John Hess was made of Towcloth similar to heavy canvas, brought along from Switzerland. His second house was made of hicory and bark, the house believed located southeast of the cemetery off the hill of the cemetery close by a stream once believed a spring. This cemetery is located on a farm now owned by Mrs mary sweigart. hans John Hess left the first will filed under the letter H. in the Lancaster courthouse, Lancaster, PA. in the year 1733. He was the father of 11 children. Not all of the family are buried in this field cenmetery. The following names of the family and some neighbors are buried here: