Butler
Family
Cemetery
Located on the north side of Route 26, in the Town of Greenville, 1/2 mile west of the intersection with Scutt Road. The cemetery is completely abandoned and surrounded by the forest. Sitting on the hill formerly known as Brandy Hill, the cemetery is surrounded by a stone wall with an iron gate and is in very poor condition. It cannot be seen from the road, as it is about 200 yards into the forest. This is a fairly large cemetery plot, however only eight grave markers were found. There is a strong possibility that many stones are buried or lost.
Transcribed by Derick, Britni and Sylvia Hasenkopf on May 28, 2001
From Beers' "History of Greene County" (1884), page 303: " Aaron Butler, for many years one of the most prominent business men of this (East Greenville) place, came into Greene county with his father in 1799, then a small boy. They settled in the farm now owned by his son Lewis Butler and in 1824 he opened a tin shop and store here. Soon afterward he built a cider-mill, and commenced the manufacture of cider brandy. Mr. Butler carried on these different kinds of business for many years with marked success, but was eventually compelled to give up a part of them on account of declining health. The distillery was closed about 1859, and the tin shop a few years earlier. He died in 1860, and was succeeded in the store by his son Lewis, who also engaged largely in the manufacture of cider, rectifying it for foreign markets. He has recently closed out his store, and is now devoting his time to farming.
New York Historical Marker located, incorrectly, 1/2 mile down
the road on the flats, states:
Brandy Hill
Settled 1790's by Rundle and Butler families. Site of Cider Mill,
Hotel, Stage Coach Stop, Tin Shop, Church, Saw Mill and farms