Apr 2 Smallpox Cemetery Guilford Connecticut

The smallpox cemetery located off Tanner Marsh Road in Guilford had its origin in 1760. It was in March of that year, the General Assembly of the Connecticut Colony raised troops to fight in what is now referred to as the French and Indian Wars. The Connecticut troops from Guilford were led by Captain Ichabod Scranton. He began with 79 men. The Connecticut boys were used as logistical support for the professional British army. Although they saw little fighting, Capt Scranton returned with only 57. They were discharged in Albany on Nov 22, 1760. It was there, they were exposed to smallpox. The men marched toward home but upon arrival, they were ordered to stay in a quarantined area of Guilford. In May of that year, the town had purchased 9 acres of land remote enough to serve as a quarantine area. Several years later a house was built but Capt Scranton and his men (29 of them were from Guilford and subject to the quarantine), camping in the open was what they had to endure.  

Family could only see them or leave food and supplies from a great distance. In December, 3 of the men died and were buried in the "pock lot". Presumably, the others survived. Often the survivors would have terrible pocks on their bodies.

In 1765 a house was built on the lot to house people with smallpox until they either died or survived. It is thought that just a few died and were buried on the lot. Perhaps as many as 9 were buried there.

The cemetery was not defined back in the 1700's. That was done in the 1920's when some folks decided it just didn't look like a decent cemetery. They had a stone wall enclosure built. Worse, they took what few original gravestones and put them in the enclosure along with a number of other flat fieldstones, turned up like grave sites. 

Here, Capt Scranton gives us a history lesson on the war. After he spoke, historian, Joel Helander gave a talk on smallpox and the history of the cemetery.

The original pest house still exists with a few additions. It was dragged up from the pock lot by some oxen to the point at which it now stands. Later this year a tree ring dendrochonology study will be done on some of the original timbers.