Grave talk covers cemetery markers

WARREN -- Hartford resident Tim Strom did not know that his love of history and researching his family's genealogy would collide when he attended Gavin Esposito's talk, "The Language of Stone: Elijah Sikes, Gravestone Carver," on Wednesday at Warren-Trumbull County Public Library.

"Edward Burton is one of my relatives," Strom said to Esposito after the presentation.

He pointed to Edward Burton's ornately carved gravestone on Esposito's laptop. Burton died in the 19th century and is buried at Brookfield Cemetery. His gravestone is an example of an Elijah Sikes carving.

Esposito became interested in gravestone carvings after attending one of Trumbull County Historical Society's Ghost Walks.

"On the tour I heard the story of Maria Buel who was murdered by her stepfather in Gustavus. I thought for some reason I have go to research this girl. I don't know why," Esposito said.

Through his research of Maria Buel's gravestone, the 2025 Youngstown State University history major discovered the work of Elijah Sikes. Sikes, born in Massachusetts in 1772, ended his career and passed away while living in Trumbull County. He had visited several cemeteries in the area when he learned that Sikes had lived in Brookfield and saw that the same type of gravestone appeared in different resting places.

"Then I wondered who carved Maria Buel's gravestone?" He also started documenting the Sikes gravestones through his interest in photography.

Sikes continued a family business.

"His father was a gravestone carver. He most likely received the tools of his trade from his father," said Esposito.

He talked about the different styles of Sikes work and where he was living when he created them.

"He began in a folk-art style and moved to a more ornate style like the Burton gravestone," said Esposito.

Sikes began his carving work in Massachusetts but gravestones of his design are also in Vermont, New York Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Sikes first wife, Lucretia, passed away in Trumbull County, and he had an interesting way that he met his second wife.

Esposito recounted that, "He met his second wife, Carolyn Giddings, when he carved the gravestone for her husband, Levi. He is buried in Brookfield Cemetery."

He was a prolific grave carver.

"By the time he died at 83 years old, he had carved 1,000 stones in six states. No two were alike," said Esposito.

Sikes died in 1855. He carved gravestones until 1850.

"He is buried with his first wife, Lucretia. I have not found out where his second wife is buried," said Espostio. Ironically, his gravestone is very simple with just their names on it.

"I think that Elijah probably carved a gravestone for his first wife. Perhaps it fell down and it is sitting there somewhere in the cemetery. That is my theory," said Esposito.

There is an artistry to carving a gravestone prior to mechanized tools. Symbols such as a weeping willow, an open book which sometimes had writing on it or tasseled urn were used.

Luckily, in Trumbull County we have several examples of Ellijah Sikes work. According to Esposito they are located in Brookfield Cemetery (where Sikes and his first wife are buried), East Gustavus (where Maria Buel is buried), Kinsman Presbyterian Cemetery, Dugan Cemetery in Fowler Township and Pioneer Cemetery in Warren.