By Sally Deering

If you blink, you miss it: the black iron gate on Newark Avenue that leads to the oldest cemetery in New Jersey: the Jersey City Harsimus Cemetery and Memorial Park. Run by volunteer president Eileen Markenstein, who has several family members buried there, and her husband Aart Markenstein, the couple – along with many volunteers – have been preserving the cemetery since they found it abandoned in 2007. Since then, the volunteers have raised more than $100,000 in funds to pay for clean-up and restoration and now, they are reaching out to the community to raise money to repair damages from Hurricane Sandy.

To help eradicate a wild weed that was destroying the grass, Eileen Markenstein rented a group of Nubian goats from in Rhinebeck, New York. The goats have already eaten much of the weed on the hilly west embankment and have become a big attraction to school groups of kids – and animal-loving adults – and are a sweet, albeit temporary addition to the already beautiful grounds. (The goats return home to their farm in the fall).

“The goats came three weeks ago,” Eileen says, scooping up feed and letting the goats eat from her hands. “This ridge here was covered with Japanese Knotwood, a very invasive weed. We did a whole study and found the only non-chemical way to get rid of the weed is goats. We read about a farm called Green Goats that rented goats to the Coast Guard, so we contacted them and here they are.”

The Harsimus Cemetery’s history dates back to 1829 when local politicians and community leaders agreed that a cemetery be created separate from the churchyard where people were buried at the time. A committee formed to find the appropriate land and in 1831 the Harsimus Cemetery, the very first in New Jersey, was incorporated. The caretaker’s house is still on the property, although now it houses several war veterans who serve as groundskeepers – and goat herders.

Buried at the Harsimus Cemetery are Jersey City’s earliest leaders – mayors, freeholders – and the men, women and children who were the fabric of the city. Also laid to rest at Harsimus Cemetery are thousands of soldiers dating back to the 1812 Revolutionary War.

Volunteers come every week to help restore the cemetery, and they fundraise. To keep the restoration moving forward, the Markensteins and the board invite local groups to perform. Just last week, the Hudson Shakespeare helped raise $500 with an outdoor performance of “Twelfth Night”.

“We do all kinds of cultural events every month,” Eileen says. “Shakespeare, concerts, military tributes to honor the thousands of soldiers buried here, and we give historic walking tours. These are the men and women who built Jersey City. In the Revolutionary War this was a campsite.”

Along with cleaning and fixing up the site – which is ongoing – the Markensteins and their troupe of volunteers have made great strides in other facets of the cemetery. They built a website and have connected hundreds of families to their ancestors.  The cemetery is open seven days a week for visitors and the community and has become a popular destination site for exciting cultural events that raise awareness and support and promote history, art, music and honor our veterans. They offer tours, lectures, films, books signings, concerts, art exhibits and fairs. Special ceremonies are held annually to commemorate Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, Earth Day, Arbor Day, the Civil War and War of 1812 anniversaries, plus “We, the People,” an annual event to celebrate the U.S. Constitution.

The volunteer board has received many proclamations and awards for the work they’ve done, but there’s still a long way to go. The cemetery still needs a major stone pathway restoration estimated at around $130,000, and Hurricane Sandy damaged the roof of the groundskeeper’s house.

There are two veterans who live in the groundskeeper’s house and watch over the cemetery and the goats 24/7. They live rent-free in exchange for the work they do.

“They work seven days a week,” Aart Markenstein says. “They supervise the volunteers and watch over the place. We have veterans come here every day to help. Guys who fought in Korea, Viet Nam, and who trained soldiers in Desert Storm. They’re very proud to be vets.”

To help the soldiers and townspeople buried at Harsimus Cemetery & Memorial Park is a mission of love, Eileen Markenstein says.

“I do this because I’m supposed to be doing this,” Eileen says. “I never had time to volunteer before. This has given me a purpose. My dad was in World War II. He was a Medic. He taught me to have great respect for veterans. I’ve been coming to this cemetery since I was a little girl.”

The Markensteins are planning to set up a preservation fund for Harsimus Cemetery & Memorial Park, to preserve the cemetery’s location on Newark Avenue.

“We’ve raised more than $100,000 and we need to raise several hundred thousand more,” Eileen says. “One of our hopes is that this will become a National Park.”

To volunteer or donate:

The Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery & Memorial Park

435 Newark Ave

Jersey City, NJ 07302

(201) 707-0738, (973) 204-9888

www.jerseycitycemetery.org