Westport's Earliest Burial Ground: Old Hill Cemetery
Predating Greens Farms Colonial Cemetery by 3 to 4 years, Old Hill boasts the oldest known grave in Westport. The Taylor family dominated the neighborhood known as King's Highway in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, giving the area the nickname “Taylortown.” Old Hill not only served as this prominent family’s cemetery but also as a staging ground for cannon during the 1777 Danbury Raid. Benedict Arnold and his troops lay in wait at the High Ground of Old Hill for British troops returning from the assault on Danbury. Hearing that the patriot General was on site, the British changed course to arrive at their waiting ships safely. Members of Westport’s first Jewish family, the Judahs, also reside in one of the five vaults within the burial ground. Continue reading from Westport Museum for History & Culture
