Who Owns Coover Farm Cemetery

Who owns the Coover Farm Cemetery?

So, the story of Barbace began with these pictures. A cemetery, a tree that had grown into some headstones, later, the tree cut down and today, you cannot find that tree nor the stones.

The second event that pulled me into genealogy was a letter from Harriet Armstrong telling me that she could not find the cemetery, that it was gone. That led to my contacting an attorney, then eventually finding the cemetery, And last a visit to Mechanicsburg to actually “see” the cemetery.

This picture is from 2012, some 10 years later. You can see the shape the cemetery is in. Clearly it needed some help. But there were a lot of question. Who owned the cemetery? And how can you get it cleaned up? Last, what about long term?

Well, the first thing I discovered was that Uncle Walt had wrestled with this issue for years. He had purchased the right-of-way from Brandy Lane back to the cemetery. Back in 1929, he had the land surveyed. And he purchased it from Ellen Hummel. She was the daughter of Hummel, one of the Coover sisters. For the record, this is recorded in Deed Book D Volume 11, page 56 #8624 found in the Recorder of Deeds, Cumberland County, PA.

Ownership

There are two pieces. The cemetery itself and the access to it. Let’s take the easy one first. Interesting, we (Walter, Mary, Nancy and myself) own this right-of-way. It was passed from Uncle Walt to my father and then my mother and without comment, on to the four Kauffman’s. We should transfer ownership of this property to the Coover Farm Cemetery Trust.

As for the cemetery, I started with the Barbace Farm itself. Uncle Walt had the original deeds for the farm. I researched those and found the more recent deeds for the property. On reading the deed, I found a clause that stipulates access to the cemetery from the public roads. Uncle Walt did not need to purchase his right of way. But it is nice to have. Here is a run down on the land transfers. I researched that and found the deed for the property.

• In the April 10, 1810 deed selling the farm property known as Barbace from Simon Grouse to Martin Keller, there is mention of this cemetery. He Paid 2460 pounds lawful money of the State of Pennsylvania.
• Upon his death in 1838, it passed to Salome Keller.
• Upon her death, it passed to Salome Keller Coover, wife of John Coover.
• Upon her death in 1856, it passed to the five Coover daughters.
• In the April 1, 1892 deed, the four daughters (T4-118) sold the farm to their sister, Marianne Hummel, (a Coover) mentioning the cemetery and stipulating no further internments but allowing for perpetual access to the cemetery from public roads.
• Upon her death, it passed to her daughter, Ellen Hummel.
• In the March 17, 1930, Ellen Hummel (D11-56) sold a strip of land 18′ wide to act as a roadway from Brandy Lane back to the cemetery to Walter Lee Kauffman.
• Uncle Walt had the original deeds for the farm. I researched those deeds and found the more recent deeds for the property. On reading the deeds, I found a clause that stipulates access to the cemetery from the public roads. Uncle Walt did not need to purchase his right of way. But it is nice to have.
• In 1930, the property is sold to J. H. Koller (A12-420) and includes a reservation for the cemetery.
• In 1966, Koller sells the land (Y21-249) to Harrisburg Area Industrial Development Corporation again making a reservation for the cemetery.
• In 1968, Harrisburg subdivides and sells the property (A3-991) to Hampton and others. These deeds carve out the cemetery which remains a part of the Harrisburg deed.
• The last correspondence with Hampton County shows a Tax Assessment Number of 240-6368.
• The last comments are that there is no information about tax liens on the WLK parcel.

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On the diagram on the left there is a little green spot which represents the cemetery which So, Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce, or one of their subsidiaries appear to own. And they appear to be willing to sign it over to an entity that would take on responsibility to maintain the property.

I have a notebook titled “Barbace Cemetery” with all the deeds, analysis and correspondence in my office.

When we are ready to proceed with acquiring ownership to the Coover Farm Cemetery, here is the contact information:

• Shaun Donovan
• Economic Development Specialist
• 3211 N Front Street Suite 210
• Harrisburg, PA 17110
• 717 213-5033
• sdonovan@hbgrc.org