Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society (CNPHS) and the Town of North Hempstead (TONH) were saddened to discover that a plaque honoring the earliest settlers interred in the Monfort Burial Ground, which had been presented to the town in 2017 by the William C Pomeroy Foundation, was destroyed by vandalism sometime during the week of May 13th .
The burial ground is situated up the hillside behind the post office at the intersection of Port Washington Boulevard and Main Street and was an active burial ground from at least 1737 to 1892. The plaque was located on the edge of the Schreiber High School property.
Town of North Hempstead Historian Ross Lumpkin noted that the vandalism was particularly painful because the burial ground contains the graves of 12 Revolutionary War patriots and the vandalism occurred just prior to Memorial Day weekend.
According to Lumpkin, “The Town of North Hempstead and Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society are working together to restore and preserve this historical burial ground, and vandalism is destructive and costly.”
According to Chris Bain, President of the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society, “Monfort Burial Ground is a recognized town, state and national landmark. We are working with the Pomeroy Foundation in the hopes that this marker may be repaired or replaced and that someone who witnessed the event might come forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Port Washington Police Department.
—Submitted by the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society
