County Line Cemetery - Centerville, Allegany Co., N. Y.

The County Line Cemetery is located in Centerville on the east side of County Line Road at the four corners with Findlay and Baird Roads. It is currently classified as an "abandoned cemetery" or "inactive public cemetery" and, according to New York State Law, is now under the care of the Town of Centerville.

Early on the cemetery was associated with Welsh immigrants who settled on the western side of Centerville and in adjacent Freedom. This area was referred to as "The Welsh Settlement." In the mid-1840s the Welsh Congregationalists met at a school house (no longer standing) located in Freedom on the west side of County Line Road, opposite the cemetery site. In summer 1846 they formed a religious society and in 1847 they erected a 30' x 30' meeting house called "Carmel" opposite the school house on the east side of County Line Road in Centerville. A squarish growth pattern of vegetation was visible on the site in 1992-94 and may indicate the position of the chapel.

A Welsh burial on or near this site was reported in 1846. Later, an unknown number of Welsh and non-Welsh burials were made over the years. Many stones in the County Line Cemetery are currently down or missing. Others are not legible or broken. Existing stones date from 1846-1875 with at least one burial (Stimson) made at the turn-of-the century or in the twentieth century. Burials for Fairview-Centerville area Welsh were also made at the Siloam Cemetery, Maple Grove Road, Freedom, NY. The Fairview and Siloam Welsh Congregational churches shared a minister for many years.

Detail from 1924 topographical map shows County Line Cemetery when the survey was done in 1923.. (Franklinville, NY Quadrangle USGS 15 Minute Series Latitude 42.375 Longitude 281.625 1924; surveyed 1923).

In 1930 Gertrude A. Barber, prolific transcriptionist of New York State records, visited the County Line Cemetery and compiled gravestone transcriptions. At that time the old church was no longer standing and the cemetery was overgrown with trees and in bad condition. Long-time local residents Alvenus Metcalf and Ray Edmunds indicated that the church burned down in the 1920s after being struck by lightning. Although Barber's transcriptions were done at an earlier date when more of the data on the gravestones was still visible, there are some inacurracies in her work, for example she lists DAVIS as the spelling for stones with the name DAVIES. There are a few stones that are not included in her list at all. In 1992 and 1994 Barbara Henry compiled a list of transcriptions which also contained some inaccuracies. In 2004, Barbara Henry returned to the County Line Cemetery and cleaned up the transcription list making it as accurate as possible at this time.

The Barber transcriptions are listed below, followed by transcriptions compiled by Barbara Henry in 1992-1994 and finalized in 2004. Between the two sets of transcriptions, it is hoped that we now have as accurate a listing as possible for this cemetery.

County Line Cemetery - County Line Road, Centerville, New York

County Line Cemetery Transcriptions compiled by Gertrude Audrey Barber (1930)

Barber, Gertrude A. Gravestone inscriptions in Cattaraugus County, New York : including cemeteries in the towns of Freedom, Franklinville and Yorkshire : typescript, 1930, 140 pgs. Typescript; contains gravestone inscriptions listed by cemetery. (Note: The County Line Cemetery is in Allegany County, but is included with the Cattaraugus County inscriptions and is listed in a supplement at the end of the Cattaraugus listings. BRH 7/21/04.)

COUNTY LINE CEMETERY on line between Cattaraugus and Allegany County, N.Y. about 1 1/2 miles from Freedom-Centerville road. Cemetery in very bad condition - grown up trees and no fence.

JONES, Robert, d. July 15, 1863, aged 76.

EDMONDS, Thomas, s. of R. & Elizabeth, d. Apr. 19, 1855, aged 9 mos.
EDMONDS, Elizabeth, dau. of Rowland & Elizabeth, d. June 18, 1852, aged 2 yrs. 9 mos.

ROBERTS, Hannah, dau. of Thomas & Elvira, d. Aug. 11, 1852, aged 13.

EDMONDS, Joseph, s. of Rowland and Elizabeth, d. Sept. 27, 1846, aged 2 y. 3 m.

-- Jane, d. Oct. 23, 1862, aged 62-16-4.
-- Margaret, d. Nov. 9, 1850, aged 1 y. 9m.

SLOCUM, Richard, d. Apr. 25, 1875, aged 5-4-16.
SLOCUM, Jennie, d. Apr. 20, 1875, aged 9m, 16d.

JONES, Lena M., dau. of David & Martha, d. Apr. 22, 1861, 21-4-12.
JONES, Martha, w. of David, d. February 3, 1868, aged 61y. 2m.

ROBERTS, John, 1794-1869.
ROBERTS, Eleanor, 1793-1850.
ROBERTS, Ida Gertrude, May 9, 1855, aged 3m. 9d.
ROBERTS, William, s. Richard & Margaret, Aug. 11, 1854, aged 7y. 1m.
ROBERTS, Robert, d. May 26, 1860, aged 23.
ROBERTS, William, d. June 9, 1851, aged 41.
ROBERTS, Mary, w.of Wm., d. Apr. 19, 1872, aged 70.
ROBERTS, Samuel, s. Richard & Margaret, d. July 1, 1861, 4-2-23.
ROBERTS, Emma J., dau. " d. Sept. 25, 1865, 2y. 5m.

MARSDEN, Margaret, w. of Godfrey, d. July 17, 1856, aged 77.

JONES, Elizabeth, dau. of Wm. & Elizabeth, d. Aug. 29, 1854, 11-1-17.

EVANS, Benjamin, s. of Wm. B. & Anna, d. Mar. 5, 1853, 4-9-21.

DAVIS, John s. (stone broken).
DAVIS, Margaret, w. (dates worn off)
DAVIS, Johnnie
DAVIS, Inf. dau. of John & Margaret, d. Feb. 12, 1860.
DAVIS, Inf. s. of Benjamin & Elizabeth, b. Nov. 1850; d. Oct. 1855.
DAVIS, Elizabeth, w. of Benj., d. Nov. 6, 1862, aged 50.
DAVIS, Samuel, s. Benj. & Eliz., d. Dec. 16, 1862, 19y. 8m.
[All except DAVIS, John are DAVIES. BH-04]

OWENS, Ann, w. of Evan, d. Aug. 16, 1853, aged 20.
OWENS, Evan, their son, d. June 29, 1859, aged 12 y. 5m. 4d.

DAVIS, Margaret ?., dau. Benj & Elizabeth, d. Mar 14, 1850, 23y. 9m.
DAVIS, Mary R., dau. " d. Jan. 17-18, 1863, 18y. 3m.

EVANS, Benjamin, s. Wm. B. & Anna E. d. Mar. 5 (3?), 1856, 9m. 2d.

MATHIAS, Benjamin, s. Thos & Martha, d. Feb. 6, 1851, aged 23.
MATHIAS, John, s. of Thos. & Martha, d.Dec. 30, 1853.
MATHIAS, s. " d. Apr. 25, 1854, aged 12.
Stenson; Anna; Mary, Anney, Luther, Marvin, Unice. (No dates given). [This is probably STIMSON.]

County Line Cemetery Transcriptions compiled by Barbara Henry (1992-1994 & 2004)

More than a half century after Gertrude Barber's visit, the cemetery is still in very poor condition; overgrown with brush and groundcover; many stones down, missing, broken or illegible. In the early 2000's, volunteers removed brush, un-covered stones, and cleaned stones, greatly improving access. Data was recorded from west to east, walking from the road back to the far northern corner of the lot. Stones are probably not in original order.

Surnames listed: EDMONDS, EVANS, DAVIES, DAVIS, DEAN, JONES, MARSDEN, MATHIAS, ORSBURN, OWEN, ROBERTS, SLOCUM, STIMSON

[ ] = notes are in brackets
[?] = data difficult to read, may not be accurate

Mernava, w. of Orlando HOPKINS, d. Dec.[?] 1865 [Not on Barber.]

Rolent JONES, d. July 15, 1863, aged 76 yrs. [Rolent is "Robert" on Barber]

Elizabeth JONES, dau of William & Elizabeth JONES, d. Aug. 29, 1854, aged 11 yrs. 1 mo. 7 days.

Mary wife of William ROBERTS died April 19, 1872 age 70 years

Robert ROBERTS died May 26, 1860 age 23 years

Margaret E. daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth DAVIES died March 14, 1850 age 23 years and 9 months

Mary R. daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth DAVIES died January 18, 1863 age 18 years and 3 months

Infant sons of Benjamin and Elizabeth DAVIES died November 1850 & October 1855 [correct data]

Elizabeth wife of Benjamin DAVIES died November 6 1862 age 50 years

Samuel DAVIES son of Elizabeth and Benjamin died Dec 16 1862 age 19 years

Margaret wife of Godfrey MARSDEN died June 15, 1856 age 77 years. "Our Grandmother" on back side.

John son of Evan and Mary DAVIS died Jan. 15, 1855 age 8 years

Eleanor ROBERTS 1793-1850
John ROBERTS 1794-1869
[two stones together within fence area]
Next to iron fence "daughter" but not legible

Martha Jones wife of David JONES died Feb. 3 1868 age 61 years 2 months

Leah M. daughter of David and Martha JONES died April 25, 1861 age 21 years

Jane died October 22, 1862 age 16 years and 4 months
Margaret died November 9, 1850 age 1 year and 9 months
children of Richard and Elizabeth JONES

Elizabeth daughter of Rowland and Elizabeth EDMONDS 1852[?] [See Barber's dates.]

Thomas S., son of Rowland & Elizabeth EDMONDS, died Apr. 19, 1855, aged 9 mos.

Joseph son of Rowland and Elizabeth EDMONDS Sept. 27 1846 age 2 years and 3 months.

[The following death notice corresponds to the gravestone transcription above: "DEATHS: Sept. 27 [1846], in Catteraugus [sic], the son of Mr. Rowland Edmonds, two years old. On the 29th, his father buried him in the ground, near the school house where the Congregationalists [or Independents] held their meetings: the occasion was officiated by Rev. R. Morris." From Seren Orllewinol III:30 1846, p. 187. Trans. from the Welsh by Barbara R. Henry. Note: In May 1847, a second son named Joseph was baptized.]

Ann wife of Evan OWEN died August 16, 1853 age 20 yrs.
Evan A. their son died June 29, 1859 age 12 yrs. 5 mos.
[both on same stone]

Harriet E. daughter of William and Emily ORSBURN, d. Nov. 19, 1860, age 14 yrs. 2 mos. 16 days [Down and under tree at corner; not on Barber list]

Alice daugther of ? and Ester DEAN? died January 10, 1852 age 2 yrs. 6 mos. 10 days [Down and under tree at corner; not on Barber list]

STIMSON [No other data on stone, probably the last burial, more modern style stone.]

John B. son of John J. and Margaret DAVIES died [?] 1862 or 1852[?] "Johnnie" on back side. [Barber only has "Johnnie", no other data.]

John son of Thomas and Martha MATHIAS died Dec 30 1853, 16 years

William son of Thomas and Martha MATHIAS, d. April 25, 1854, aged 12 years.
[In 2004 did not see stone for Benjamin, s. of Thomas and Martha MATHIAS. See Barber.]

William son of Richard and Margaret ROBERTS died May 11 1854.

Richard W. and Jennie SLOCUM
[broken and illegible; see Barber for dates]

scattered stones contain names and initials: "Anna" "J.E." "M.R." "Mary"