Farmer Rocco: From Beechwood Farm to Cemetery Grounds

A black‑and‑white photograph of a rural roadside scene featuring a large sign for “Beechwood Cemetery” mounted on wooden posts. The sign is positioned to the left side of the image, next to a simple wire-and-post fence. A small tree and overgrown bushes stand nearby, partially obscuring the fence line. Beyond the sign and vegetation, an open field extends into the distance under a clear sky.
A black‑and‑white photograph of a rural roadside bordered by a dirt road on the left and a grassy field on the right. A line of young, slender trees supported by thin stakes runs parallel to the road, forming a simple fence or boundary. Additional trees and low vegetation fill the background. A car is faintly visible in the distance along the dusty road, which curves gently out of view.
A black‑and‑white photograph of an open, barren dirt field with rough, uneven ground in the foreground. A single wooden stake stands upright near the center of the image, possibly marking a boundary or construction point. Trees and low vegetation line the horizon, with one large tree positioned on the left side. The sky above is partly cloudy. A date mark reading “JUL 57” appears along the right border of the photo.
A black‑and‑white photograph of a rural landscape with an open field in the foreground. The ground appears rough and uneven, as if recently plowed. In the middle distance is a flat, grassy area bordered by a line of trees. A small barn or shed sits to the left side of the image. The sky above is partly cloudy. A date mark reading “JUL 57” appears along the right border of the photo.

1934–2021
Beechwood Cemetery
Crypt 3092 Level B

Before Beechwood Cemetery became a memorial landscape, the property operated as an active farm. During the transition from farmland to cemetery, Farmer Rocco Basta continued to work the land. After selling the farm, he constructed a house and barn on the property. The house and barn are no longer there, but the land now houses a modern maintenance building from which all operations run.

For many years after the sale, Rocco cultivated tomatoes and cash crops on the back fields, even as cemetery development expanded around him. His farming activity represented a unique overlap between agricultural use and cemetery operations during this period of transition.

Staff who worked at Beechwood recall Rocco as approachable and generous. It was common for employees to visit him during lunch breaks, and he often shared produce from his fields, particularly tomatoes. These interactions created a sense of continuity between the land’s past and its evolving purpose.

Although the original house and barn no longer stand, the area remains central to Beechwood’s operations and serves as a reminder of the site’s agricultural roots and of Rocco’s role in its transformation from farmland into a place of remembrance.

Source:
•    Beechwood Cemetery Staff

Photos courtesy of Mount Pleasant Group

  • stories of the land
  • industry processes
  • changes over time