Ivandell Cemetery

Ivandell Cemetery is an historic burial ground located in Somers, NY. It was formed in 1866 by leading members of the Somers community who purchased a seven-acre plot of land next to two existing burial grounds surrounding the Union Meeting Church on Somerstown Road. The Union Meeting Church had been built in the early 1800s to serve the Episcopal and Presbyterian congregations of Somers Plains, and the Union Meeting Burying Ground and the Public Burying Ground sprang up around it about the same time. These two burial grounds merged with the Ivandell Cemetery in 1894. In 1896, the Ivandell Cemetery increased in size again after acquiring land from Somers School District where its old schoolhouse had once stood, and an adjacent plot. In addition to its historical significance, Ivandell Cemetery is also recognized for the notable people buried here, including military heroes.

One of the earliest interments in Ivandell Cemetery was that of John Hempstead (1693-1801). Hempstead, one of Westchester County’s first centenarians, was buried in the area next to the Union Meeting Church. Although there is a record of the text and dates engraved on his tombstone, the marker itself can no longer be found in the cemetery.

There are a number of large monuments and memorials within Ivandell Cemetery, including many that stand on what had once been part of the Union Meeting Burying Ground and the Public Burying Ground. One is a fifteen-foot granite monument that was erected in 1865 by the Ladies’ Soldiers’ Aid Society to honor the 25 men of Somers who gave their lives during the Civil War.

Another notable monument in Ivandell Cemetery recognizes Hachaliah Bailey (1774-1845). Bailey, whose name is often associated with Somers and its history, started a successful menagerie business and was responsible for importing “Old Bet,” the second African elephant of her kind  to arrive in the United States. Bailey was originally interred behind the Union Meeting House; his remains were later moved to the Ivandell Cemetery. His monument in the cemetery has a statue of Old Bet on it.

There is also a monument in Ivandell Cemetery on what had been the Public Burying Ground honoring Hachaliah Brown (1822-1853). Brown was an officer in the 3rd Artillery Regiment and served in the Mexican-American War. He died while on active service at the Jefferson Barracks near Saint Louis, Missouri.

The Ivandell Cemetery is open and available to the public.

1. Rafferty, Patrick. The Cemeteries of Westchester County. Vol I. New York. Westchester County Historical Society, 2011.
2. "Somers Hamlet Historic District.” National Register of Historic Places. United States Department of the Interior/National Park Service, April 21, 2004. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75323217
3. Walogorsky, Tom. The Marvelous Elephant Hotel, tapinto.net. Aug. 2, 2021. Accessed Oct. 22, 2021. https://www.tapinto.net/towns/somers/sections/community/articles/the-marvelous-elephant-hotel