Reese Family Graveyard
The Reese family graveyard is located near the intersection of Mt. Airy and Truce (Rawlinsville) Roads in Providence Township, Lancaster county, a short distance westerly of the town of New Providence. The graveyard has been called the Rees-Lines, Lyns-Rees and Lines Graveyard by other writers. The graveyard came to be known as Rees and Lines families burying ground because the only discernable surnames in evidence to previous writers/visitors to the site were the two mentioned.
The Reese family has many members buried here and one of the two stones with a surname was "A. REES" for Andrew Reese abt. 1776-Oct. 8, 1856. The other stone is the most inscribed in the cemetery and is for "Susanna Lines" 1816-1848. She was likely born as Susanna Finefrock, a daughter of Elizabeth Reese and Michael Finefrock, both of whom are buried here. Her husband was possibly Christian Lines.
The Reese family farm was situated about 1000 feet southerly of the graveyard and for over 150 years Rees family descendants, intermarried with families living on the adjoining and subject property.
The graveyard was estimated to have approximately 2 rows of about 25 persons according to Wilmer Eshleman who transcribed the visible stones in the 1940s?. Paul R. Hollinger in his book Now and Then in Providence Township, 1976, called the cemetery the Lines Graveyard and estimated about 3 rows and up to fifty people. Restoration of the site has revealed 8 rows of 100-200 persons. Current recovery has yielded a total of 95 stones and 8 new inscribed stones. The graveyard was active until about 1860 or so. The earliest burials are hard to place an age with as they are monumented by unmarked fieldstones. It is quite possible the first burial was Jacob Traeger the owner of the farm at the time of his death in 1816.Recovery and restoration are ongoing and documentation and pictures will be added. This obscure graveyard was omitted by Ellis and Evans in their comprehensive 1883 History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The nearest references made to this site: ie: Ellis and Evans, page 1020,"farther eastward in the township, in early times known as Brubakers, now F. Schroder's (*This is the Fisher-Montgomery Graveyard located on lands originally belonging to Christopher Winters until abt 1824),and still farther Eastward, close by the NewProvidence Schoolhouse, on the Stoneroad, now Thomas Groff Jr.'s property (This is the Groff-Stoneroad-Rees cemetery, are sacred spots where Gochenours, Groffs, and many others are sleeping their last sleep." The Groff-Stoneroad-Rees graveyard is also situated on land earlier owned by Christopher Winters Sr. The Reese-Lines graveyard is located a few hundred yards east of the present Providence Township building(*) and is proximate to the Stoneroad and Groff farms.There are no other nearby cemeteries.The two nearest contemporaneous churches with cemeteries are New Providence Mennonite, formed in 1766 with no burials occuring there until abt 1808-1820, and Zion(formerly Pequa) Reformed with no church cemetery burials before 1795. Burials of Reformed church members prior to that date were at the Eckman/Kunkle family graveyard. The Reese Graveyard is contemporaneous with New Providence Mennonite Church Cemetery. The graveyard might contain up to 100-175 early burials whose children are among the common surnames found at the New Providence Mennonite Church cemetery. The stones dated in the 1830s and 1840s are certainly not the earliest burialsin the cemetery Prior to 1858 the Mt. Airy Road was located a few hundred feet easterly of its' present location and is shown as such on a 1824 map of
Lancaster County prepared by Joshua Scott. The road began at Rawlinsville Road and just Easterly of the Mt. Airy Schoolhouse(*) across the property and in front of the house of Joshua Winters, continuing in front of and past the Mt. Airy graveyard and on to a now closed
portion of Scott Road (*). In 1858 Mt Airy Road was relocated to its present
location and shortly thereafter the schoolhouse was also moved. That tract adjoined the farm of Jacob, father of Chris, as well as the lands of Adam Wentzel, Patrick Duncan and vacant lands. On this tract came to be or already was what is known as the Rees-Lines graveyard. A Road fronting the graveyard along a property line and then by or across the lands of Chris Winters can be seen on the 1824 Map of Lancaster County by Joshua Scott.
The graveyard is located on what was the property of warrantee Jacob Traeger. Jacob bought the property from Christopher Winters, Sr. about 1810. Traeger's land was northerly of the property of Peter Rees. Peter Rees died in 1811 and could be buried there as could Jacob Traeger who died in 1816.
Plot
showing where stones have been found
The Rees Family graveyard is not mentioned and prior to 1858 a schoolhouse sat on the old Rees farm. There is a former shoolhouse of newer construction near the intersection of Pennsy and Sawmill roads.
Graveyard and/or Farm Ownership
1750, June 14-Provincial Warrant to John Hutzman
Early on in Restoration
Recovering the probable headstone of David Reese
(1838), from under about 10 inches of soil.
Possible surnames buried in the graveyard from among the changing neighboring families---Warrantees(mid-1750's forward) and early owner (thru- 1820's)neighbors-
1835 neighbors-WINTERS, family of Simon 1785-1865 (son of Christ. Winters
Sr.)
1854 neighbors
1857 neighbors
Known and probable persons
Reese family/Mt. Airy Graveyard burials:
These possiblities and knowns account for only a small portion of the 95 found stones and likely 30-70 additional burials. The Reese family/Mt. Airy graveyard is being restored and cared for by www.horseshoe.cc For more information or to become a sponsor contact horseshoe
her stone along with that of Andrew REES were the only two found with surnames.
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