Seneca Co., NY

A Brief History of Lake View Cemetery

Interlaken, Seneca County, New York

"At a meeting of the citizens of Farmerville on June 4 1847, "On motion Resolved that we form an association to be called and known by the name of the Farmerville Rural Cemetery Association."[1] Ten days later the Trustees of the Association voted to purchase one and a half acres of land from William Rappleye near the Baptist Church.[2]

By similar action, a second group, mainly from the Reformed Dutch Church, formed the North Cemetery Association and purchased land from Abram Ditmars,[3] Many of the earlier burials from the Dutch Reformed church burying ground were relocated to the new grounds which were on the road north of the village connecting the main Ithaca to Geneva "turnpike" with the lake shore area known as Morehouse landing.

On 23 June 1849 the North Cemetery Association of Farmerville purchased an additional portion of lot 34 from Abram Ditmars[4], thereby doubling the size of their cemetery. These first two purchased form much of the area of Lake View Cemetery along the front fence.

"At a meeting of the officers of the North and South Cemetery Associations of Farmerville at the Consistory Room of the R D Church, Nov. 26, 1860. . . Resolved, the south purchase two acres more land & pay for the same, adjoining the North, on the west & north of the same. Individuals owning lots in the south may take as many in said purchase of same size . . . Resolved that we will purchase 2 to 21/2 acres more land than the above named if the people of this vicinity will subscribe a sufficient amount to pay the same."[5]

On July 1st 1961 at the Reformed Dutch Church, "Resolved that we form an association to be called & known by the name of the "Farmerville Union Cemetery"[6] The Trustees elected at that meeting were John Booram (President), Isaac Covert, Ira Almy (Vice President, Superintendent & Sexton), John P Rappylee, for one year terms; Abram Ditmars, James C Knight (Treasurer), Caleb H Parshall, Jacob D Wintersteen (Secretary), for two year terms and Bennett E. Bassett, Ansel Rappylee, Lockwood Hinman, John C Hall for three year terms. The officers were John Booram (President), Ira Almy (Vice President, Superintendent & Sexton), James C Knight (Treasurer), and Jacob D Wintersteen (Secretary).

At the March 1865 Annual meeting it was resolved that the Association purchase an additional five acres from Abram Ditmars. This purchase occurred on February 12, 1866.[7] This purchase defined the maximum size of Lake View Cemetery until 1994.

In March 1876 the name of the cemetery was changed to the Lake View Cemetery Association of Farmerville.8 A final name change was made in May 1908 to the Lake View Cemetery Association of Interlaken, New York following the renaming of the village of Farmer to the Village of Interlaken.


There are over 3,800 burials recorded at the cemetery. The internment books date from 1918. Earlier burials are documented using newspaper articles, vital records and gravestone readings.
Index of names at Lakeview Cemetery
Credit: The quotations used above are from the Official Meeting Minutes of Lot Owners and Trustees, dating to the first meeting in 1847, and from the land deed books on file in the Seneca County Clerk's office.

[1] Minutes of Meeting, J D Wintersteen Secretary.
[2] 17 June 1847 1.5 acres of lot 50 Seneca County Book of Deeds T2 page 500
[3] 8 May 1848, North Cemetery Association of Farmerville purchased part of lot 34 from Abram Ditmars, Seneca County Book of Deeds U2 page 322-323
[4] Seneca County book of Deeds W2 page 498-499
[5] 2 Sept. 1861 Farmerville Union purchased 5+ acres from Abram Ditmars, Seneca County book of Deeds #65 page 459
[6]Minutes of Meeting, J D Wintersteen Secretary.
[7] Page 439 Seneca County book of Deeds #72
[8] Minutes of the meeting, J D Wintersteen, Secretary.
This information was contributed by Diane Bassette Nelson. Please isit http://lake-viewcemetery.com/ for an ongoing project to get burial information online and for more information on Lake View Cemtery.
Please let me know if you have any further information on this or any other Seneca Co. cemetery. Diane Kurtz

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This page added May 12, 1998.
c1998 Diane Lerch Kurtz