October traces its roots back to the ancient Celtic festival, Samhain, marking the start of winter and the thinning of the veil between worlds. This is a good month to look at the thinning of the veil in Skaneateles.

There are twelve cemeteries (private and public)  listed in the town of Skaneateles. Early settlers buried their families on privately owned land, a few of which remain today. 

Lakeview Cemetery has an interesting history, dating back to the Revolutionary War when John Briggs, a soldier returning from war, owned farm land where the cemetery now exists. He buried his wife Polly there in 1802. In 1808 the Skaneateles Religious Society purchased a burial ground and a half acre of land from David and Martha Seymour. This burial area became known as “God’s Acre” and was overflowing with bones. In 1846 Freeborn Jewett and Charles Pardee, a profiteering businessman, purchased adjoining  land to God’s Acre from James Fuller, laying out 224 lots. In 1858 Judge Jewett died. Charles Pardee assumed control and bought more adjoining land. In 1871 a meeting was called to reorganize an incorporated public cemetery. This involved the Act of Legislature passed in 1847 authorizing the incorporation of Rural Cemetery Associations. The association was met with resistance, among them Charles Pardee, who profited from monies raised from his private cemetery,  was not interested in a public cemetery. Edmund Norman Leslie provided land necessary for purchase. Charles Pardee continued to refuse to sell his land and reorganized his land as a Rural Cemetery under the name Evergreen. He erected a fence across the roadway leading to the land acquired by the Association which was torn down. Charles then dug up 11 corpses and buried them across the roadway in less than a foot of ground. Charles died in 1878. The Evergreen property was purchased by Joel Thayer and then deeded to the Lakeview Cemetery. The two cemeteries became the property of the Village. 

The beautiful landscaped cemetery is now over 30 acres. Three areas within Lakeview Cemetery are of interest: The Friends (Quaker Plot),the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and Burrows Chapel.  Building of the Soldier and Sailors began in 1888 dedicated to all soldiers who made a monetary contribution. In 1891 contributions had dwindled. John D. Barrow financed the completion and designed the soldier’s statue at the top which represents peace. The soldiers rifle is at his side. The bayonet is tucked in his belt. His left hand is empty.

The Burrows Chapel was built and given as a gift by Charles H. Burrow, a native of Mottville, and president of the Mohawk Valley Paper Company in honor of his parents, David and Ellen Barber Burrows. It has been restored and repaired over the years. Today it seats 150 people. It was rededicated in 1989. Monies have been provided by generous people for the chapel to be available to the Skaneateles Community.

St. Mary’s of the Lake Cemetery is a cemetery, associated with St, Mary’s Church on Jordan St. It was established in 1868, The grounds span roughly 15 acres.

Mottville Cemetery  was founded in 1819 and includes graves of veterans from the Revolutionary War. In 2021 it was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Sheppard’s Settlement Cemetery is an active historic cemetery which sits on the corners of Northwest Townline Rd.and Stump Rd.. It is the lasting identifier of a farming hamlet with 500 graves, 30 of which are veterans of the Revolutionary War through WWII. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.