Stories Carved in Stone: The Story of the Dummer Family, the Merrimac Valley Gravestone Carvers, and the Newbury Carved Stones 1636-1735

From the perspective of the 20th century, the Newbury carved stones are a unique but obscure local anomaly. From the perspective of the 17th and 18th centuries, they would have fit comfortably into the artistic traditions of their times. They are unique only in the sense the decorative folk art designs were carved in stone rather than the more traditional materials like ceramics, canvas, silver, cloth and wood. Their historical importance comes not from their uniqueness, but rather from the fact they were a product of their times. They reflect the greater world around them. They give us some insight into the art of the 1600’s and early 1700’s, into the social traditions brought from the old world, and into how colonial men honored some of their women.