Grapevine by Rosalyn Queen Alonso
With Memorial Day just passing, my thoughts still remain with cemeteries. Something on television called my attention to the cemetery that is attached to the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, which is located in Weston and has been renamed Weston State Hospital. The hospital was built in 1858 on a 666 acre tract of land. Stone masons from many countries came to lay the stones, which consisted of three structures. It is the largest stone structure in the United States, and the second largest hand-cut sandstone building in the World, with the only bigger one being in the Moscow Kremlin.
The grounds contained three cemeteries and these were used to bury the dead individuals who were housed in the asylum. Many of the graves are unmarked or were only given a number and they remain unknown to the public. If you are interested in doing a little research, call the hospital to see if you can gain admittance to the cemetery. They may be closed to the public; however, it appeared to me on the television that individuals were visiting the graves. There is a very interesting history about this facility and a lot of the history can be found on Facebook.
I also want to call your attention to the many veterans who live at the WV Veterans Home located adjacent to the VA Hospital. There are many there who would appreciate your visit. I want to call special attention to Russell Bonasso, who lives there. Russell was a community leader in Clarksburg for many years. He recently observed his birthday and I want to wish him a very happy one and many more in good health. My brother-in-law Dan Fisher visits the veterans on their birthdays and he was able to visit with Russell this past week
If you were away for Memorial Day and did not get to visit the cemeteries, it is still not too late to take a walk through those close to your home.
Get ready for summer and be careful. Keep in touch and until next week “Now You Have Heard It Through The Grapevine.”
