The Old Episcopal Burying Ground
Early History
The Burying Ground on East Third Street is a veritable Who’s Who of the nineteenth century. For local historians this little plot of land has long been known as the Westminster Abbey of Lexington because of the prominence of those buried there. Trustees of Christ Church purchased the property in December 1832 from Charlton Hunt, the first mayor of Lexington and son of millionaire John Wesley Hunt. The parish needed a new graveyard because there was no room left next to the Church.
Little did the Christ Church trustees dream that in less than six months after acquisition of the property the cemetery would receive a plethora of bodies of members who died during the dreadful cholera scourge that ravaged the community in the summer of 1833, taking more than 500 Lexington citizens, including more than a third of the membership of Christ Church. From 1832 to 1850 approximately 400 burials took place in the cemetery, a large number due to the two epidemics of 1833 and 1849. In 1847 Christ Church records show that 150 bodies were moved from the Church area to the burying ground.
The Labyrinth
In the year 2000, Christ Church purchased the lot adjacent to the Burying Ground from the Catholic Diocese of Lexington. In 2002, a Walking Labyrinth was created. The labyrinth is an ancient sacred design with a simple pathway leading to and from a center. Labyrinths have been used throughout history for varying purposes, including decoration, play, meditation and prayer. Although the path remains unchanged, no two experiences with a labyrinth are the same. The Walking Labyrinth is always available and can be found at the back of the lot between the OEBG and the Fire Station on Third Street.
