16th ANNUAL BREAKFAST EVENT

We proudly announce our next Breakfast Event scheduled for Saturday, September 23rd, beginning at 8:30 am, at Concord’s Colonial Inn.

Our guest speaker is the well-recognized author, educator, and scholar, Concord resident, Dr. Robert A. Gross. We are honored that Dr. Gross has accepted our invitation to be the presenter at the Event. He is a specialist in the social and cultural history of the United States from the Revolution to the Civil War, with a particular focus on New England.

He brings to us his knowledge of the Keyes Family – notably John Keyes and his son John Shepard Keyes as prominent figures in the 19th century history of Concord. His research on the rural cemetery movement and the making of Sleepy Hollow in particular will be shared including John Shepard Keyes’s role in these developments.

With the popularity of our speaker and the limited seating capacity of the Inn’s main dining room, advance reservations are required by Friday, 15 September 2023. Walk-in reservations unfortunately cannot be honored.

The Friends is offering registration options for the $ 30.00 cost which includes the Inn’s buffet breakfast. Credit card payment via PayPal can be made at friendsofsleepyhollow.org/payment or by check to
The Friends of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Inc.
Post Office Box 313
Concord, Massachusetts 01742-0313

COMMEMORATING GOLD STAR FAMILIES

On Sunday, 24 September 2023, The Friends will host the public Dedication Ceremony of its gift of a granite bench honoring Gold Star Families. The day has been designated as National Gold Star Families Day, appropriately.

The Ceremony will be held in the Sleepy Hollow’s Veterans’ Bill’s Garden flagpole at Star Circle on Goldenrod Hill, beginning at 1:30 P.M.

Invited guests will include Concord’s Gold Star Families who will be presented by local veterans officials with the Medal of Liberty and its Citation. The Award bestowed through the Commonwealth’s Governor’s Office honors family members for their loss and sacrifice with the distinguished recipients having been identified as meeting the Award’s specific criteria.

In parking, kindly respect the grass areas. Limited parking can be on the road at Vesper Circle just off Bedford Street. Road parking approaching and at the site of the Dedication will be very limited. With that, through the courtesy of Holy Family Parish administration, the use of Church’s parking lot on Bedford Street is strongly encouraged. From there, enter the Cemetery via the New Hill Gate adjacent to the Town’s Assessor’s Office, walking toward the flagpole site.

The Ceremony will be held rain or shine.

The Friends cordially invite the community, particularly our Veterans, to share in this important recognition, as we look to welcoming all.

Click the image above for printable version.

On May 25th, 2023, the Concord Historical Commission awarded in a public ceremony a 2023 Landscape Preservation Award to The Friends. The Award recognizes the preservation, restoration, or maintenance of landscapes, grounds, and gardens related to historic sites. We extend sincere gratitude to the Historical Commission for this distinctive honor, as we continue our service to the Cemetery in this third decade.

Our Mission cannot be realized without the extensive support of our donors via our Annual Fall Appeal. Once again, we thank each of you heartily.

Joining Board President Kevin Thomas Plodzik at the Awards Ceremony were colleague Directors John Gardella, Nancy Reilly, and Jim Fannin. Also in attendance was Priscilla White Sturges.

The Board accepted the kind invitation from two local organizations to present information about The Friends to their members. These were the Concord Rotary Club and The Council on Aging. Two Directors of our Board, Priscilla White Sturges and Kevin Thomas Plodzik, shared, either via ZOOM or in a hybrid format, our history, accomplishments, and future plans, with audiences, and entertained questions. We extend full appreciation to the two hosting organizations for providing these opportunities.

The Concord Chamber of Commerce offered the opportunity to us to present a “Spotlight Video” featuring our organization. Cordial appreciation is extended to the Chamber. The video clip was filmed most recently on location in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, narrated by Kevin Thomas Plodzik, and shown on the Chamber’s website. Through the courtesy of the Managing Director of the Chamber, the Video is available to watch here.