{travel} Princeton Cemetery

Posted by thepaperinkproject on October 24, 2012 · Leave a Comment

In the spirit of Halloween, what better way to offer you some spirited fun facts by bringing you to one of the nation’s most famous cemeteries, The Princeton Cemetery. Owned and managed by the Nassau Presbyterian Church of Princeton, the Princeton Cemetery hosts many famous deceased loved ones including President Grover Cleveland, who lived in Princeton from 1897 to 1908, and John Witherspoon, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, member of the Continental Congress, and president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). Former Vice President, Alexander Hamilton, is also a spirited resident of the Princeton Cemetery. The most famous pair that lay here is Jose and Mary Menendez, parents of the Menendez Brothers. Some people think that one of Princeton’s most famous resident, a.k.a. world’s most famous physicist and award-winning mathematician, Albert Einstein, was buried here. But sadly, no. Albert was cremated; his ashes strewn in Princeton.

The Ivy League university town offers several great touring companies. One of them, the Princeton Touring Company, offers ghosts tours where thrill-seekers are led inside the cemetery, and at night. Everyone is armed with lanterns and ghost rods and unwittingly leave a bit of bravery at the cemetery gate. Whether they admit it or not.

I enjoyed the tour with my family and experienced….something. Mimi Omiecinski, owner/host/leader of the touring company led us to Grover Cleveland’s resting place inside the famous cemetery. She described Cleveland as a man who paid extra special attention to women….even during his after-life. The host went on and described instances where the past president somehow reaches out to women who stop by his memorial statue. I really don’t remember the examples she told us, but after she was done speaking we all had a moment to walk around, explore and detach from the group. I was only a few feet away from Cleveland’s memorial statue when I felt a hand brush by my back. I turned around thinking to find my husband but found no one remotely near me. My family was a lot farther away than I thought and I ended up running towards them….hoping that the cemetery gate was nearby. Needless to say, I didn’t leave my family’s side after that.