Pond Memorial

The Monument and Gravestones of Colonel Nathan Patchen Pond and his Wives, Julia and Susan

 

Introduction:

Ravine Avenue climbs unevenly and steeply over bricks laid many years ago. As one walks from the Gate House at Mount Hope Cemetery up toward Lot C, time seems to stand still. The cemetery opened in 1838, however some gravestones from other burial sites date back even earlier. At any given point, a person can look at dates on gravestones and find people of many different ages and lifetimes, making Mount Hope a very diverse place. Passing by these gravestones of different times, shapes, sizes, and meanings, one is reminded of the fragility of life and the finality of death. Past Susan B. Anthony’s marker, a tall monument unlike the typical obelisk stands out amongst the hundreds visible in this, one of the oldest parts of the cemetery. The southeast side of the monument reads:

COL. N. P. POND

BORN BROCKPORT, N.Y.

SEPT. 11, 1832

CIVIL WAR

1860-1865

ROCHESTER PRINTING CO.

1870-1921

AT REST

JAN. 16, 1921

"FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH"

The northwest side of the monument has the names Julia Beecher and Susan Moore, and their birth and death dates. (See the next page for a picture.) Two benches are placed symmetrically to the monument, each bearing a different phrase and asking the onlooker to sit down, rest, and think. Also on the southeastern side of the monument, three flat stones lie in the ground, bearing only the names of the aforementioned people.

BIOGRAPHIES:

Julia Beecher Pond was born on July 7, 1851. She died suddenly on August 28, 1887. A special dispatch from Washington, D.C. to the Union & Advertiser in Rochester brought the news. While traveling home from Florida on a train with her husband, she had taken ill and became very weak. She died within 30 minutes, around 1:30 in the morning (Union & Advertiser, August 29, 1887, 2). The daybooks at Mount Hope stated that she died of "Phthisis Pulmonalis", more commonly known as Tuberculosis, according to Frank Gillespie at Mount Hope Cemetery. Julia was buried in the northwestern corner of Lot 101 in Section C, but was moved on July 28, 1921 to the southwestern corner when Colonel Pond’s second wife erected a monument in his memory.

Nathan Patchen Pond was born on September 11, 1832 in Brockport, New York. Little information was available about his life, including his parents and childhood, until the year 1862. On the 10th of September of that year, Mr. Pond enlisted as a private, and he rose to the rank of Captain of the 3rd Co. New York State Cavalry. He later became squadron commander of that division. Colonel Pond was again promoted in 1863 to the rank of Major of the 1st United States Colored Cavalry. Organized on December 22, 1863, these African-American troops were mainly from Virginia. In the twenty-seven engagements involving this division, the most notable battles were at Kinston and Goldsborough Bridge, North Carolina. Kinston took place on December 14, 1862; Goldsborough Bridge occurred three days later. Both were union victories commanded by Brig. Gen. John G. Foster. In January of 1864, Pond rose to Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd United States Colored Cavalry, which had been organized in Virginia the same day as the 1st colored cavalry (Gladstone 101).

At the end of the war, Colonel Pond was discharged on April 14, 1865 (Union & Advertiser, January 11, 1921), but he remained active in the G.A.R.—the Grand Army Organization—for the rest of his life. He held many positions in the G.A.R., including State Department Commander under George H. Thomas Post in 1900. Pond was thought of as a pioneer in the G.A.R., making constant contributions both personally and financially. Further, in 1870 with Henry Matthews, Colonel Pond founded the Rochester Printing Company, which began printing the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, which was the recent merger of two newspapers, the Daily Democrat and the Chronicle. The company was very successful, as can be seen in the longevity of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Referred to as "the staid old lady of Main St. […] the ultra conservative..., Democrat & Chronicle always made money, usually lots of it" (Gerling 21).

Nathan Patchen Pond died on January 16, 1921 in Rochester, New York. The daybooks at Mount Hope Cemetery document his cause of death as "Lobar Pneumonia" at the age of 88 years, 4 months, and 5days. The Union & Advertiser obituary states that the funeral ceremony was held on January 19 at 3:00 at the Monroe Avenue Methodist Church. In addition, the body could be viewed from 2:15 to 3:00 while under the guard and supervision of the George H. Thomas Post G.A.R. At 4:15 p.m., Colonel Pond’s body was placed in the Mt. Hope vault for the rest of the winter. On July 13, 1921, with a newly finished monument in place, his body was finally laid to rest in Lot 101 of Section C.

At the time of her husband’s death, Susan Moore had a tablet and photographic painting of Nathan Pond placed in the Business Office of the Democrat & Chronicle. It read:

Colonel Nathan P. Pond

1832-1921

1862 Civil War 1865

Rochester Printing Co.

1870-1921

"faithful unto death"

(Union & Advertiser, Jan. 11, 1921).

Susan Moore Pond was born in Michigan on August 22, 1858. In her lifetime, she was "prominent in teaching circles", and was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Rochester Colony of New England. She was a member of the Monroe Avenue Methodist Church along with her husband. She died at the Powers Hotel at the age of 84 years, 3 months and 15 days on December 7, 1942. The cause of death was listed as "Cerebral Hemorrhage", more commonly known as a stroke. There was a funeral at 2:00 in the afternoon at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Raymond G. Phillips. There were no services for Susan Moore Pond at Mount Hope, and her body was placed in the vault until April 21, 1943, when she was buried beside her husband (Democrat & Chronicle, December 8, 1942).

At the time of Susan’s death, the Pond estate was worth a then sizable $555,089. She gave a total of $54,000 to religious and educational organizations and $250,000 each to two stepdaughters. (Democrat and Chronicle, December 8, 1942).

THE MONUMENT AND BENCHES:

The Pond monument says much about the life and beliefs of the family. Above Col. Pond’s name, and on the feet of the benches, there is a calligraphic P (see photo 2). Calligraphy is typically considered a sign of wealth and

prominence in society. In addition, "PERPETUAL CARE" carved into the southern side of the stone. Gravestone buyers could choose to buy the perpetual care option and so have the stone cared for "forever". The monument itself is about 12 feet tall. The tympanum is the only part with carved images. It is oval-shaped at the top, and is very smooth and distinctively shaped. Carved in the classical Greek revival style, this stele contains notable symbols and meanings. Perhaps, the flower at the top is a poppy, an ancient Mediterranean symbol for eternal sleep and consolation. Whatever the case, flowers in general signify eternal hope, love and beauty, but most importantly, they exemplify mortality. The plants that curve in at the left and right sides are acanthus, which appears in Greek art and funeral steles as early as the 4th century BCE. Similarly, the elegant leaves curling upward are palmettes, artistically enhanced palm leaves. This particular combination of floral motifs may be found on the anthemion, or floral crest of the fourth century BCE Stele of Cratisto of Olythus, and on other Greek stele as well, including one in the British Museum (Whittick, 22-23).

The benches curve toward the Pond monument, inviting one to sit and reflect. The bench situated on the western corner of the plot bears the following passage:

"RESTE YE—here and always, in faith and hope and peace "until the day break and the shadows flee away"

As one can see, part of the passage is in quotation marks. This is from the Song of Solomon in the King James Version of the Bible. The full verse is as follows: "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether" (So 2:17).

The words serve two purposes: One, to invite the departed to rest for eternity, and two, to invite a visitor to be comforted by these loving words.

The bench at the northern corner of the plot reads as follows:

"I know that my Redeemer liveth" therefore, when I shall "walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil."

The first part "…I know that my Redeemer liveth…" is from Job 19:25. The full text of the passage is "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth;" (Job 19:25). These words seem to assure that God is near, and they may console the friends and family as they grieve over their deceased loved ones. I have already said that the Pond’s were church regulars, and here the influences of their religion can be seen. The second part is from the Psalms: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psalms 23:4). Here again, we find themes of consolation and divine protection, and a testimony to the Ponds' faith.

DISCUSSION:

Felix Adler said "…death should be robbed of the blackness, the gloom, with which it is now invested. The only thing of the dead which deserves to be preserved is the heart’s affection" (Sloane, 156). I think that Susan Moore Pond would agree with this attitude toward death and dying. She commissioned the monument for her husband who she survived by twenty-one years. The monument is fashioned in a welcoming way, but still maintains the eminence that Colonel Pond had achieved during his lifetime. In addition, there is a small "AT REST" on the monument, above the "faithful unto death". Perhaps, this is an indication of a full life with few regrets. The height of the stele monument, and the benches, too, are a testimony of her love and respect.

The large granite neo-classical stele is also a social distinction. Compared to the many small, white marble stones nearby, this family plot demands attention. Sloane argues that "Americans believe in democracy and equality, but go to extremes to differentiate themselves from others…even in death" (187). This is clearly the case with Pond monument as it suggests the family's prominent status and class. Still, as evident from Susan Pond's will, the Ponds gave to those in need and cared about the betterment of their community.

Finally, in his study of life and death, The Broken Connection, Robert Jay Lifton states: "A sense of immortality, then, is by no means mere denial of death…Rather it is a corollary of the knowledge of death itself, and reflects a compelling and universal inner quest for continuous symbolic relationship…" (Lifton 17). This symbolic immortality is the key concept here as many gravestones contain imagery and epitaphs that attempt to remember and commemorate the deceased person. With Colonel Pond’s monument, we can see that he was meant to be remembered for his accomplishments in defending his country in the Civil War and serving his community with the Rochester Printing Company. A key phrase on the stone reads: "Faithful Unto Death". Although these words would appear at first glance to be a testimony of his faith, they may also allude to his devotion to his lifetime of work and accomplishments, and to his family. This granite stele standing tall and proud is an elegant tribute to the family, forever inviting the passer-by to remember Nathan, Susan and Julia Pond.


Researcheer: Julia Dugan
University of Rochester



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Bibliography

"CWSAC Battle Summaries". Heritage Preservation Services. <http://www2.cr.nps.gov/abpp/battles.htm>

Davies, Douglas. Death, Ritual and Belief. Cassell, Wellington House: London. 1997.

Day Books and Lot Books at Mount Hope Cemetery’s Main Office. Dates: 1887, 1921,

    And 1942.

Gerling, Curt. Smugtown U.S.A. Plaza Publishers: Rochester, New York, 1957.

Gladstone, William A. United States Colored Troops, 1863-1867. Thomas Publications:

    Gettysburg, PA, 1990.

Lifton, Robert Jay. The Broken Connection: On Death and the Continuity of Life.

    American Psychiatric Press, 1996.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. December 8, 1942.

Sloane, David Charles. The Last Great Necessity. Johns Hopkins University Press:

    Baltimore, MD, 1991.

Whittick, Arnold. History of Cemetery Sculpture. Mineral Publications Ltd: London,

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Union and Advertiser. August 29, 1887, and January 11, 1921.