Allen aka Van Camp Rd Cemetery

Erie County (PA) Genealogy

Fairview Township Cemeteries

Allen Family Cemetery aka Van Camp Road Cemetery

This small family cemetery is located on Van Camp Road at the Elk Valley Road intersection, in Fairview Township. The burial plot is surrounded by a steel rail fence. There are 10 markers with inscriptions that are still readable. They are positioned in three rows, and there are foot stones behind each of the large markers. There are a few broken markers with the inscriptions worn away. I read them from right to left because the first three were the prominent markers in the cemetery.

The following information is being added on February 2, 2007: In January 2006, an additional earlier reading of this cemetery was provided. Rather than incorporate this reading with information provided by Joan, this earlier reading is posted as submitted at the bottom of this article.

VAN CAMP ROAD CEMETERY, Fairview Township, Erie County, PA

The first row of the cemetery has three large markers.

CLOTHER B ALLEN DIED MAY 1875 AGED 77 y 5 m 2 d

PHEBE wife of CLOTHER B ALLEN DIED OCT 29 18… AGED(32?) y 11 m 16 d

WILLIAM E. ALLEN at Empire City Colorado Oct 31 1875


Clother B Allen	Phebe, w/o Clother Allen	William E Allen

The next two markers are smaller and are identical. (Right to Left.)

PHEBE B. dtr of C B & PHEBE ALLEN JUNE 30, (1833?)

SALLIE M dtr of C B & PHEBE ALLEN (JULY?) 1822


Child - Phebe B Allen	Child - Sallie M Allen

Broken white limestone marker, inscription worn off.

HENRY C son of CLOTHER & ESTHER ALLEN Died Sept 17, (1819?) Aged 7 years.

JOHN J. son of LEONARD R. & ESTHER COOK Aged 2 yrs & 9 mos. Died Nov 3, 1840.


Child - Henry Allen	Child - John Cook

The middle row of markers have two that are readable. (Left to Right)

PHEBE Moses & Cynthia Aged 2m 10d

JAMES A son of JOHN & MINERVA RUSSEL. Died Nov 8, 1840 aged 4 years.


Infant Phebe ??	Child - James A Russel

The back row has one legible marker.

“In memory of an infant daughter of ABRAM & CHARITY SILVERTHORN who died June 1833.”

Infant Daughter Silverthorn

* * * *

CLOTHER BECKWITH ALLEN was the eldest child of SAMUEL PIERCE ALLEN & LUCY (BECKWITH) ALLEN, born November 29, 1799. Samuel and Lucy Allen’s first four children were born at Amsterdam, Montgomery Co., NY. The next nine children were born at Otego, Otsego, Co., NY. Their last child, the thirteenth was born at Fairview Twp., Erie Co., PA.

In 1823, Samuel & Lucy Allen exchanged their farm in Otego, Otsego Co., NY, of two hundred acres with the Holland Land Company, for thirteen hundred acres of wild land in Fairview, Erie Co., PA

The object of the parents in thus exchanging their home of comparative comfort, and enduring the hardships of beginning again in the unbroken forest, was that their large family of thirteen children might be settled around them. At the time of their father’s death, all the sons and four of the daughters owned land which was part of the original purchase; and all the children were living within a radius of eight miles of the homestead. Written by descendant Cynthia E. Allen.

CLOTHER BECKWITH ALLEN – Died 18 May 1875 at Girard, Pa. He and first wife PHEBE NORTHRUP are buried on his farm in McKean Township, Erie Co., Pa. Second wife ESTHER HUYCK ALLEN COOK died 26 Nov 1880 in Gibbon, Nebraska and is buried at Gibbon.

(The Van Camp Road cemetery where CLOTHER and PHEBE ALLEN are buried is about ¼ mile west of the McKean Township line). Death records: Family History Center Library microfilm roll 1036418.

ABRAM & CHARITY (WASHBURN) SILVERTHORN have an infant daughter who died June 1833 and is buried in this cemetery. They are buried in Silverthorn-Weldon burial plot, between Silverthorn and Van Camp Roads in McKean Township, Erie Co., PA. They were married by Stafford, J.O.P., February 23, 1832 and both died in 1836, aged 31 and 24.

* * * *

This information is from the ALLEN FAMILY HISTORY, compiled by John A. Hirsch – 1994, on file at Fairview Area Historical Society. Cemetery inscriptions transcribed by Joan Fiesler, 7021 Van Camp Road, Girard, PA 16417. May 1, 2003. Pictures taken by Joan Fiesler, April 19, 2004.

Added February 2, 2007 from email sent January 29, 2006 by Kristen Spare.

Read by Kristen Koehler(now Spare) and Linda Ditrich in August of 1973.

Clother B. Allen/Died May 18, 1875/Aged 75 yrs. 5 m. 17d./From hereforth, You with the Spirit that thay may rest from thou labours and their worth do follow them

Phebe/wife of/Clother B. Allen/Died Oct. 29, 1839/Aged/37 yrs. 1 m. 16 ds.

William E. Allen/Died/at Empire City Colorado/Oct. 31, 1875 Aged/46Yrs. 2M. 14 d./Thy brother shall rise again

Phebe B./Daut. of C.B. & Phebe Allen/ Born & Died/June 30, 1833.

Sallie M./Daut. of C.B. & Phebe Allen/Died Sept. 10, 1827/Aged 1 yr. 6 m. 22 d.

H. Dean/Son of/_____ & _____ Allen
Footstone: H. D. A.

Henry C./Son of Clother B. & Esther Allen/Died Sept. (12?), 1849/Aged 7 years

John J./Son of Leonard R. & Esther Cook/Aged 2 years/& 9 months/died Nov. (3?)/1840

Phebe/Daut. of/Moses & Cynthia/Bronson/Died Aug. 21, 184(?) Aged 2 m's 10 d's.

In/memory of/an ifant daut./of Abram & /Charity Silverthorn/who died June/1833

David/son of/Alex. & A. Russell/Died/Aug. 29, 1846/AE 5 Weeks 4d.

Plus several broken/unreadable stones. We must have missed James C. entirely!

This page was originally created on August 11, 2005. Change 1 - February 2, 2007 - Added additional reading submitted by Kristen Spare.

This page was last updated on Friday, February 2, 2007 .

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