BRICK – Nestled along a small residential street near the north bank of the Metedeconk River lies one of Brick Township’s oldest piece of history.
A plot of land measuring about 100 ft. x 100 ft. and lined with a white picket fence holds the oldest burial ground within present day Brick Township. Old Woolley Cemetery, also known as “Gravelly Graveyard,” is located on Fairview Avenue and holds less than one hundred graves, dating back to the early 1800s.
According to Brick Township Historian Gene Donatiello, Enoch Jones had purchased about eight acres of land from the estate of Adam Woolley. Enoch later deeded the land to Jessie Jones, with less than one-half acre set aside for a public cemetery.
The secondary name “Gravelly Graveyard” can be attributed to a local legend.
“An unidentified male body washed ashore on the Metedeconk River, the only identification found in his pocket was gravelly (gravel),” Donatiello said. “The local people buried him there and somehow it became a nickname for the cemetery.”
Some of the Township’s earliest residents have found their final resting place at Old Woolley Cemetery. The earliest grave is of Rachel Wardell, born in 1782 and died in 1812, before even the creation of Brick Township which didn’t occur until February 15, 1850. The last burial is of Joseph Truex, who was born in 1819 and died in 1901.
Many war veterans are buried in the small graveyard, among those including 11 veterans of American wars. Most notable is Enoch Jones, who served with George Washington in the American Revolutionary War.
“[He] helped defend Toms River during a battle with British forces when he served with Captain Perrine’s Company 33rd Militia,” Donatiello said.
Interred here are eight veterans of the War of 1812: William Johnson, James Allen, Cornelius Clayton, Isaac Wardell, Adam Woolley, William Woolley, John D. Clayton and James Osborn, who were all workers at the Butcher-Burr Iron Forge on Forge Pond and were all members of Jacob Butcher’s First Monmouth Brigade, a Company of Infantry.
“Also interred here is Isaac Elmer, a Township Overseer, also a veteran of the War of 1812; Peter Layton, a veteran of the War Between the States (Civil War) who died at Ward Army Hospital, Newark, New Jersey; and farmer William S. Johnson, a member of the first township committee in 1850, whose farm is now known as Windward Beach,” according to Donatiello.
Since its inception, the cemetery has not received any major restoration. The Township’s Historic Preservation Commission oversees the land and cleans the area as needed.
“Just cleaning it up, no changes to the headstones or anything. That’s the only thing done and continues to be done,” Donatiello said. “There are headstones that have fallen over and we’ve just left them the way they were because we’ll never really be able to repair them.”
Over the years the Historic Preservation Commission has lined the cemetery with a white picket fence, and a map has been placed near the entrance, which was an Eagle Scout project. Donatiello noted that another Eagle Scout is currently planning a project to the put a roof over the map.
How has the cemetery remained almost untouched for centuries? It’s simple – no one wants to mess with a graveyard, Donatiello said.
“No one claims ownership of it now; it’s been abandoned for over 100 years. When it got its start, it was a Woolley family cemetery. The Woolley family had land set aside for it,” Donatiello said. “Because it is a cemetery, no one has tried to buy it or anything.”
In recent months changes to the area have brought upon some unwanted fears and concerns to Old Woolley Cemetery.
“We do have some fears since recently the woods that border the cemetery down to Princeton Avenue have been cleared. Apparently, they are building some houses there,” Donatiello said. “That’s always frightening because people can complain about being near a cemetery. We’ve only ever had one complaint in the past, but it’s still a concern.”
“Although, I don’t think they will ever let them built upon the land since there are graves there… which we’ve confirmed further with a ground radar. You can’t see the bodies, but you can see dark spots where people are buried,” Donatiello added.
In recent years, the cemetery has garnered some attention not only across town, but more nationally. Veterans’ groups now place flags to commemorate Veterans Day. In addition, the site now hosts the organization Wreaths Across America to honor those buried with Christmas wreaths.
