The Life and Times of Elijah Sikes, Gravestone Carver

Chester Center Cemetery, Chester, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

The small hamlet of Chester was the first place Elijah Sikes is listed as living independently when he married Lucretia Anderson on April 10  ^th  , 1794. The town burying ground, across from the First Congregational Church where the two were married at, has many examples of Sikes stones, dated between 1767 (backdated) and 1816. The wide range of stones show the progression of his work, from the haunting spoon shaped “soul effigies” borrowed from his stone carving father (Samuel Elder, 1791; pictured in header) to Neoclassical urns featuring willow like vegetation (Children of James and Polly Bell, 1803/4), which’d form the basic basis of his work for the rest of his career.

South Cemetery, Brooklyn Windham County, Connecticut

If we’re going by census records, Elijah Sikes never lived in Connecticut. However, his stones tell a different story. From 1755 (backdated) through 1790, over 100 stones by him dot cemeteries throughout Connecticut, mainly in Windham County. Among the most ornately carved stones by him in this area is that of Capt. Benjamin Pierce, his wife, and five children at the South Cemetery in Brooklyn, which features individual soul effigies for each centered below a large rosette. It is important to note that there is some dispute among gravestone scholars as to whether or not Elijah himself carved the Connecticut stones or not, partially due to the fact he himself did not reside in Windham County, and the presence of lesser quality markers among his work in this area. It is quite possible the Windham County contingent of stones was carved by another, yet to be unidentified member of the Sikes family.

Eastman Cemetery, Chester, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

Located “up the hill” from the Chester Village Cemetery, it is here that Elijah Sikes’ first child, Sophia, takes her repose at. Passing away at just three months old in March, 1795, she is buried near the graves of her maternal grandparents, Archelaus and Sarah (Webber) Anderson. who take their repose beneath one of Elijah's grand monuments. Featuring one of his trademark soul effigies flanked by rosettes, above is inscribed the phrase "REMEMBER DEATH" --- a sentiment that'd make occasional appearances on Sikes stones in both New England and the Great Lakes region alike.

Fairmount Cemetery, Lee, Berkshire County, Massachusetts

By 1800, Elijah was residing in Lenox, Berkshire County, although for reasons unknown, his work is not well represented at the Church on the Hill Cemetery there. For an accurate survey of his work during this time, we will have to go to Lee, four miles to the south. At Fairmount Cemetery, Sikes is very well represented. Working in marble, stones such as those for Matty Hendy (1773, backdated) and the Foote children (1793) represent his output during this era.

Maple Hill Cemetery, Dorset, Bennington County, Vermont

In 1805, Elijah Sikes relocated to Dorset, Bennington County Vermont, an area rich in marble carving and quarrying. Continuing to carve and erect stones for the area’s deceased, as well as open a quarry on Mount Aeolus in 1808, his work underwent a significant transformation during this era. Going from a self-taught folk carver to a true craftsman, it appears during this era he emulated the designs of Bennington County carvers, incorporating pot-shaped urns, overarching willows, routed panels, oval inscription frames, and twining vines all commonly seen in this region’s carving repertoire. Perhaps Sikes’ most well-known stone during his time in Vermont is that of Dr. Jonathan Blackmer (1813), which features double pot-shaped urns (with tassels), Federal style columns, rosettes, routed inscription panels, Masonic imagery, and an open book featuring Genesis 3:19. Interestingly, this marker is one of the few by him that is signed, being “E. Sikes," although the signature appears on the footstone. Of note is the phrase "they go down to their graves ere return no more," located at the bottom of the headstone, possibly a corruption of Job 7:9, also featured on the stone of Edward Burton in Brookfield, Ohio on an open book motif.

Center Cemetery, Chesterfield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

By the mid 1810s, Elijah Sikes was back in Massachusetts. Settled in Norwich (now Huntington), Hampden County, near his old home of Chester, he continued to carve in the “new” style he picked up in Vermont. At the Center Cemetery in Chesterfield, a signed stone by Sikes exists, for Martha Taylor (1816). This would be the last place in Massachusetts Elijah Sikes would reside at before his removal to Ohio.

Pine Grove Cemetery, Warren, Worcester County, Massachusetts

It is unknown exactly when Elijah Sikes, his wife, and three children departed for Brookfield, Trumbull County, Ohio, however according to gravestone scholar Derek Strahan, it was likely after the carving of Mathew Patrick's stone at Pine Grove Cemetery in Warren. Passing away at the age of 89 in April, 1827, Strahan states while "there is no solid evidence of exactly when Sikes left New England, the existence of this stone indicates he was still here as late as 1827." Based upon his findings, this is the latest dated Sikes stone in New England, carved "within less than a year of his departure for Ohio." The stone, carved from brownstone, is not that different from what Sikes would carve in Ohio, featuring double willows, fans, and notched corners, although an atypical large urn and diamond inscription panel.

Brookfield Center Cemetery, Brookfield, Trumbull County; Ohio

Sometime in late 1827, Elijah Sikes and his family relocated to Brookfield Township, Trumbull County, Ohio on the Connecticut Western Reserve. Traveling some 530 miles, the trip likely took upwards of six weeks, based upon the accounts of other settlers. Once in Brookfield, Sikes immediately set to work carving. At the Center Cemetery in Brookfield, 10 stones by Sikes exist, with a particularly notable one being for young Edward Burton (1828), featuring a broken column, blooming flower, hourglass, ornate urn, drapery with tassels, detailed willow, and an open book motif featuring the phase ""they go down to their graves ere return no more," possibly a corruption of Job 7:9. Other honorable mentions include the stones of Levi Giddings, his second wife's first husband (d. 1823, backdated) with it's singular willow set into a "cameo" frame, a common budget style for Sikes, Emaline Hart Caldwall (1828) with an urn flanked by two scalloped fans, and John Beers (also 1828) with its double willows and tasseled urn. Sadly, on October 12 ^th , 1829, Lucretia Sikes passed away at the age of 55. Buried at the Center Cemetery, for reasons unknown, she did not get a stone carved by her husband. On January 7 ^th , 1831, Sikes remarried to Clarissa Giddings, a former native of Hartford County, Connecticut.

Old Kingsville Corners Cemetery, Kingsville Township, Ashtabula, Ohio

Once settled in Brookfield, Sikes continued to work at his trade, with his greatest output of work seeming to come between 1828-1832. With this being said, almost every old cemetery throughout Northeast Ohio has at least one Sikes stone, however none can compare to those at Old Kingsville Corners off of Route 84 in Ashtabula County. While there aren’t particularly many here, a few are quite notable, namely Almerin Gillett (1828) with its open book motif featuring Genesis 3:19 (as seen on the Blackmer stone in Vermont), Carissa Wyman (1828) with its draped urn and lengthy epitaph, and Betsey Cook (1829) with an obelisk and three willows.

Neshannock Presbyterian Cemetery, New Wilmington, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania

Although Sikes predominately carved in a refined Neoclassical style, hints of his upbringing as a folk carver in Massachusetts and Connecticut still occasionally shown through. Such is the case of the stone of Jane McConnell (d. 1829), in the Neshannock Cemetery in New Wilmington, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania with it's rosettes similar to those carved on the Hannah Dwight stone back in 1792 and the herald of "REMEMBER DEATH" as seen upon the grave of Sikes' in-laws, Archelaus and Sarah Anderson.

East Gustavus Cemetery, Gustavus Township, Trumbull County

Perhaps one of Elijah Sikes most interesting works is the stone of Frances Maria Buell, a 16 year old girl from Gustavus Township who on August 8th, 1832, was murdered by her stepfather Ira West Gardner. Later hanged on November 1st, 1833, Gardner became the first and only person to have ever been publicly executed in Trumbull County. Featuring a fountain-like willow and unconventional urn, this design was used only sparingly by Sikes. In 1985 the stone was removed to the Gustavus Township Hall for safekeeping while a replica was erected over her grave.

Warner Road, Hartford Township, Trumbull County, Ohio

By 1840, Elijah had moved yet again, this time a short distance to Hartford, a mere township north. Settling on Lot 34 upon a slender tract of land divided by what is now Warner Road, this is the only reference we have to where Elijah Sikes actually resided at. By now, it is unknown if he was continuing to carve, however anecdotal evidence suggests he did so as late as 1842, and on the 1850 census, he lists himself as a “stonecutter,” although it is not known if he was referring to this as a current or former occupation.