MIDDLETOWN -- A portion of the city’s history has been damaged by a blustery act of nature, and volunteers are being sought to help repair it. A 200-year-old oak tree splintered off and blew over during a windstorm a few weeks ago in Mortimer Cemetery. The near 90-foot-tall piece that broke off sprawled over several old granite, marble and brownstone grave markers breaking them or knocking them over. A cypress tree came down during Thursday’s and Friday’s windstorm, but did not damage any stones.

The thick branches, having about a 50-foot-wide span, covered stones from the 1800s including the Mather family plot, as well as intertwined with obelisks from the Fraser and Bacon families.

"The enormous oak tree did a tremendous amount of damage," said President Augie DeFrance of the Old Burying Grounds Association. The association, founded in 1895, is a nonprofit volunteer group that maintains the city’s old cemeteries not connected to the churches. "We do not know the extent of the damage until we get it out."

"Where it came down, there’s quite a collection of old stones hit," he said. Mortimer Cemetery was founded in 1778. "We’re losing our history."

Philip Mortimer was an Irish immigrant who came to Middletown in the 1700s and became wealthy manufacturing rope at the Rope Walk, said Di Longley, of the Middlesex County Historical Society. Mortimer and his family lived in the North End. When his wife died, Mortimer made the property lining Liberty Street into a burial ground for his family, she said. The property was given to the city around the time of his death.

"Some of the most well-to-do families were buried there previous to Indian Hill Cemetery," Longley said. The cemetery isn’t used anymore, but there are a few stones from the 1960s in it.

Connecticut Gravestone Network Executive Director Ruth Shapleigh-Brown, visited the cemetery in between Liberty and Main Streets. By a quick assessment, at least 10 to 12 stones have been damaged by the tree. Cornerstones marking off family plots have also been broken off by the tree, said Shapleigh-Brown, who was also representing the state historic preservation officer.

"We won’t be able to assess all the damage until the tree is removed," DeFrance said.

The problem is the tree must be delicately re-moved as to not damage the stones further, he said.

The association is seeking a person who may volunteer their services by removing the tree to help in maintaining and repairing the small portion of the city’s North End history. The association, being a volunteer group, is seeking funding to repair the stones that may have been damaged by the falling tree.

"There’s no insurance on the stones," DeFrance said, adding the association does not have the money to repair the damaged stones.

The historical society paid to restore one stone about 10 years ago, and it cost about $3,000, Longley said.

Those who wish to make a donation for stone repairs can make checks out to the Middle-town Old Burying Ground Ass-ociation, care of Elaine Niland, treasurer, Liberty Trust Com-pany, 176 Court St., Middletown, Conn., 06457.

To contact Amy L. Zitka, call (860) 347-3331 ext. 211. or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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