The Berry family who settled along the western shore of Pleasant Pond were among the earliest settlers in what would later become the town of Litchfield. They were successful farmers and prominent citizens of the town. The burial place of Capt. Nathaniel Berry, the patriarch of the Litchfield Berrys, is unknown. His son, Andrew, who died in 1866 at the age of ninety is buried at the Litchfield Plains Cemetery. Otis Berry, Andrew’s son, who died in 1859 was buried on his farm along with his wife, Hannah (Gordon) Berry, two sons, Franklin O. Berry and Hiram V. Berry, and a first cousin, Harriet Robinson, who died in 1846 at the age of seventeen. This small cemetery on the Plains Road is currently being surveyed and restored by members of the Historical Society of Litchfield. There are at present several unresolved issues concerning this cemetery. First, why wasn’t Hannah (Gordon) Berry buried along side her husband, Otis? Her broken stone was found leaning against a tree but her son Franklin O. seems to have been buried in the Grave on the North side of Otis.

Early burials were almost always on an East-West axis with the head toward the west. (Legend has it that this was so that if the deceased sat up in the grave they could see the sun rising in the east.) The wife would typically be buried next to her husband. A second issue is the location of the grave of Ellen M. Berry, a daughter of Otis and Hannah, who died at the age of one year in 1832. No stone has been found for Ellen. Finally, why would Harriet Robinson have been buried with her Aunt’s family rather that her own? If you can help us to resolve any of these issues please contact the Historical Society of Litchfield.