After five years of working to restore the historic Horner's Cemetery in East Allen Township, members of the Horner's Cemetery Historical Society welcomed a crowd of about 50 people Oct. 19 to commemorate the 285th anniversary of Craig's Irish Settlement.

The celebration was intended to be an educational event, raising awareness of the rich history of the area, and as an open house for displaying the results of a five-year-long restoration project.

Historical society President Peggy Moser said historical society members and the community put a great deal of effort into renovating the previously dilapidated cemetery.

"We filled in sinkholes, put tombstones back on their bases, glued together broken stones, cut trees to save stone walls and mowed the grass," Moser said.

Celebration attendees were treated to a walking tour of the cemetery led by Moser and other historical society members.

They were also able to tour the nearby one-room church that was built in 1813.

The walking tour led guests through the cemetery to grave sites of notable figures.

Some highlights included the burial spots of delegates to the Constitutional Convention and the Constitutional Congress; General Robert Brown, a close friend of George Washington; the surveyor general of Pennsylvania, George Palmer, for whom Palmer Township was named; four Revolutionary War generals; and 21 veterans from four different wars.

The cemetery is also the resting place of Jane Rosbrugh, the wife of the first pastor to die during the Revolutionary War, and of Jane Horner (for whom the cemetery was named), the first woman to be killed by Native Americans during the French and Indian War.

The historical significance of Horner's Cemetery has to do not only with who is buried there, but also with its ties to the founding of Northampton County.

Craig's settlement, founded in 1728, was the first settlement in Northampton County. It spawned the towns of Northampton and Bath, as well as Allen and East Allen townships.

In 1731, shortly after Craig's settlement was formed, Horner's Church – the first church in Northampton County – was constructed. Horner's Cemetery was established 14 years later.

In 1752, Northampton County was officially formed, due in large part to the success of Craig's settlement.

Because of the significance of Craig's settlement and Horner's Cemetery for Northampton County, Moser believes that the preservation of the area is a worthwhile endeavor.

The members of the Horner's Cemetery Historical Society hope that the community support for the site's restoration and recognition continues to grow.

They encourage educators who wish to help students explore the historical developments of their community, or anyone who is interested in the area's history, to take the time to visit the site and get to know a little bit more about the area. For more information, call Moser at 610-984-4532.