Little Neck Cemetery

Little Neck Cemetery. . The past and present coexist in a quiet, contemplative setting , This picturesque, peaceful landscape on the shores of Bullock Cove, was part of the area inhabited by the Pokanoket Tribe. In 1655, John Browne, a statesman of Rhode Island, "purchased this land and established the burial grounds for the settlers of Wannamoisett". (The area constituting the present-day Riverside area of East Providence was called Wannamoisett by Indigeneous people.) Encompassing over 12 acres, the area's forested beauty is preserved among the paths and memorials of some of the oldest markers in Rhode Island. These secluded grounds serve as both a valuable historic resource and public natural area for the surrounding neighborhood, with its large oak and spruce trees, wildlife, and terrain offering views of the tranquil tidal marsh below., NOTABLE GRAVE MARKERS , John Browne Sr., 1662 , An original proprietor of the Rehoboth settlement and first European settler in what is now Riverside, he was the assistant to the Governor of Plymouth Colony in 1636. His daughter Mary married Thomas Willet, and his son James married Lydia Howland, daughter of Elizabeth and John Howland. His son John Jr., died less than two weeks before him and is the earliest recorded burial here, although no original stone has been found. , Captain Thomas Willett, 1675 , Born in England, he was the Captain of the Plymouth County militia, son-in-law of John Brown Sr. and served as the first and third mayor of New York. His homestead was reportedly on Willet Ave., now the site of an apartment building. , Elizabeth Tilley Howland, 1687 , An original settler of the Plymouth Colony, having arrived on the ship Mayflower from England at age 13, she was the only one in her family to survive their first winter. After marrying another Mayflower passenger, John Howland, at about age 16, she remained in Plymouth until 1680. Then, at the age of 80, she died in present day Riverside at the home of her daughter Lydia Howland Browne and husband James. , Jacobs Family, 1815 , Captain John Jacobs Jr died in 1815 as the result of a blast at the Kettle Point Quarry. He is the namesake of the Captain John Jacobs Road and Captain John Jacobs Circle Apartments. His burial place is unknown. However, his father and two of his wives are buried here. , Photo Caption: A replacement stone honors John Browne Sr. A large boulder for Thomas Willet put down by the City Club of New York on the plot near the original headstones and footstones marking the graves of Willett and his wife, Mary, who died in 1669. , A self-guided tour created by the East Providence Historical Society offers links to detailed information and history about many of the people who are buried here. [QR code on marker - link included under “See Also”], Zinc Gravestone Markers , Zinc grave markers were produced by The Monumental Bronze Co. Produced from 1874 to the early 1940's, they were invented with the intention of replacing fragile marble tombstones that were prone to deterioration. Littleneck Cemetery reportedly has seven zinc gravestone markers, four of them in just the Tillinghast plot alone. , Photo Caption: The cemetery contains a variety of gravestones by noted carvers George Allen and his son Gabriel of Rehoboth, John Stevens of Newport, and Samuel Tingley of Attleborough. There are reportedly 106 war veterans buried here, including 11 from the Revolutionary War and one from the Colonial War., Discover more history about sites throughout East Providence at discovereastprovidence.com