300 years old Jewish Cemetery in Fairview

A stone plaque in above the door of an old building in Fairview states: “Built in the year 5618”.

Sounds like Back to the Future but it is actually a Hebrew Calendar year for 1857. That year was the year that a wall was erected around the cemetery to protect it from grave body robber and headstones thief.

The cemetery has almost 150 headstones with inscriptions in both Hebrew and English, but it is understood to hold about 200 graves. It was in use from 1718 until the end of the 19th century, when the Jewish community moved to the south side of the city and established a new cemetery near Dolphin’s Barn. In recent years, the grounds have become overgrown, and the board of guardians has lacked the resources to continue maintaining the house and cemetery.