Little Merrit's Tomb – Oxford, New York - Atlas Obscura

Little Merrit's Tomb

Oxford, New York

A small window was installed in this gravestone to honor a young boy's dying wish. 

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Beardsley Cemetery in Oxford, New York, home to a grave with an unusual feature: a small glass window. It is the final resting place of little Merritt Beardsley, who was born in 1857 and died in 1865 at the age of just eight years old. Merrit died of a high fever brought on by bad milk. Before he passed, he told his mother and father that he did not want to be buried underground because he was afraid of the dark. After he passed his father exposed the head of Merritt’s grave and installed a window, so the sunlight could always reach Merrit’s final resting place.

Know Before You Go

The cemetery is open to everyone who wishes to pay their respects. It is rundown but watched over by neighboring houses. The best way to get there is to go up State Highway 220 in the village of Oxford NY towards Bowman Lake. Take a left onto Hoben Rd. The cemetery is roughly one and half miles down the road on your left.

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