During our Veterans Day ceremony last fall the Sound Beach Civic Association was informed of a 19th-century headstone at the bottom of the cliff. Along with the homeowner, who lives at the top of the area where it was found, we coordinated an effort to document the origin of the stone. This week the headstone was taken. Although not necessarily under cover of night, it was certainly done covertly. Whoever did it knew it was wrong!
The stone was not in area where someone could just stumble on it. It was covered by a large slab of cement and therefore not easily visible. Also, there are only two ways to access the area, neither of which is easy. First, they could have gone down the stairs which are maintained by the homeowner. Not only would they be trespassing, but also, given the weight of the stone, it would have been impossible to remove it this way. The stone was situated behind a bulkhead that the owner also maintains and to get to it from the beach would entail climbing large boulders--again not easy to do. So this required planning and was done by someone who knew where it was.
Although attempts to verify the origin and ownership of the stone have been unsuccessful, it belongs to this community, and we want to know who removed it. So, if anyone saw anything or knows anything please contact the Civic (744-6952). If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, then let the police know. You can report the information anonymously. Or you can just post a comment here.
The picture is somewhat unclear, so here are what we’ve been able to figure out. The names are Johann and Friederich Grune and they appear to be two children who died in the late 1800s.
