Brainerd Cemetery
Site Brief:
Founded: 1734
Location: Cranbury, NJ
Additional name(s): N/A
Affiliate group(s): N/A
History:
Brainerd Cemetery is one of two cemeteries operated by the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury. According to our records, the earliest burial occurred in the "Old Yard" in 1738. From information gleaned from church maps, records and longtime members, we know that behind the "Old Yard" was an area that had been designated both as the "Colored Section" and the "Potters' Field." The earliest burial in the segregated section was that of Edward Ditmars in 1846 (born 1784), and the most recent burial was 2010. We also know that there were at least two formerly enslaved women buried in the cemetery-- Gracie Allen & "Aunt Jennie." Our church's records note that Gracie Allen (1790 - 1875) "Freed Slave of Bayles Family." While her name is in our records, we have not been able to find her headstone. It is possible that she was originally given a simple wooden marker that has succumbed to elements or that a stone one was broken.
