The Coopers of Long Hill

Document G.730 · memorial plaque · transcription: verbatim

Memorial plaque, 'Former Tombstones of the Cooper Family (Cenotaphs)', Township of Long Hill, Morris County, New Jersey (photographs, June 2018)

The seven stones in their memorial setting, June 2018.
The seven stones in their memorial setting, June 2018. Photograph by Chris Cooper Full resolution (4.2 MB)
The plaque at the memorial to the Cooper stones, Long Hill Township.
The plaque at the memorial to the Cooper stones, Long Hill Township. Photograph by Chris Cooper, June 2018 Full resolution (4.9 MB)
date
2018-06
repository
Maintainer's own photographs
collection
Cooper Family Burying Ground, Long Hill, New Jersey (source folder)
Cite this page "Memorial plaque, 'Former Tombstones of the Cooper Family (Cenotaphs)', Township of Long Hill, Morris County, New Jersey (photographs, June 2018)", document G.730, The Coopers of Long Hill, njcoopers.com/e/G.730/

People named

As writtenRoleIdentified asWhat this document says
JEREMIAH MOTT commemorated
REV. WAR CAPT. PETER LAYTON commemorated
JOHN COOPER commemorated John Cooper 1738–1778
STEPHEN COOPER commemorated Stephen Cooper 1767–1844
FANNY COOPER commemorated
DANIEL COOPER, JR. commemorated Daniel Cooper Jr 1729–1787
ANNA COOPER commemorated Nancy (Cross) Cooper 1737–1803
DANIEL COOPER, SR. referenced Daniel Cooper Sr 1695–1795

What this document records

Note

The month and year come from the folder name ('Park Finished June 2018'); no date is visible in the photographs.

Transcription and notes

The plaque (img_2323)

FORMER TOMBSTONES OF THE COOPER FAMILY (CENOTAPHS*) [Township seal: "SEAL OF TWP. OF LONG HILL MORRIS COUNTY STATE OF NEW JERSEY"] THE COOPER FAMILY, ONE OF THE FIRST FAMILIES TO SETTLE IN LONG HILL TOWNSHIP, EMIGRATED FROM HOLLAND TO NEW YORK CITY IN 1695. DANIEL COOPER, SR. MOVED HIS FAMILY TO THE PASSAIC VALLEY (LONG HILL) IN 1732. THEIR TOMBSTONES WERE ORIGINALLY LOCATED IN THE COOPER FAMILY CEMETERY IN STIRLING. THE "OLD CEMETERY" WAS VACATED IN THE MID-1950S. THE CENOTAPHS WERE PLACED ON THE PROPERTY OF THE FORMER TOWNSHIP LIBRARY, LOCATED ON CENTRAL AVENUE IN STIRLING UNTIL 2004. THESE HAND-CUT CENOTAPHS ARE GOOD EXAMPLES OF EARLY AMERICAN STONE CARVING USING THE VENACULAR FOLK ART DESIGN. FOUR STYLIZED "TREES OF LIFE" SURROUND THE MONOGRAM ON THE DANIEL COOPER, JR. CENOTAPH. THIS METHOD OF CARVING ENDED CIRCA 1820. THE FIVE RED SANDSTONE CENOTAPHS WERE POSSIBLY DESIGNED IN THE OSBORN WORKSHOP IN SCOTCH PLAINS. THE STYLE OF INSCRIPTION LETTER CARVING AND THE SCRIPT MONOGRAM DESIGN ARE TYPICAL OF THE WORK OF JONATHAN HAND OSBORN (1760-1846). THE ORIGIN OF THE TWO MARBLE CENOTAPHS IS UNKNOWN.

JEREMIAH MOTT 1785 - 1813 REV. WAR CAPT. PETER LAYTON 1733 - 1804 JOHN COOPER 1738 - 1778 STEPHEN COOPER 1767 - 1844 FANNY COOPER 1817 - 1821 DANIEL COOPER, JR. 1729 - 1787 ANNA COOPER 1737 - 1805

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE COOPER FAMILY IS AVAILABLE AT THE LONG HILL TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY. [*C]ENOTAPH - A MONUMENT OR MEMORIAL MARKER FOR A PERSON WHO IS BURIED OR WHOSE REMAINS ARE ELS[EWHERE]

The setting [desc]

Seven headstones in a curved planting bed with rhododendrons and shrubs, a fieldstone pedestal carrying the plaque, and a curved brick-paver path, in a grassed park beside red-brick buildings (img_2320, img_2322, img_2333). img_2326 to img_2332 show single stones.