The Mystery of Upstate New York’s Lady in Granite

Once upon a time, a woman was buried at the Lakeview Cemetery in Penn Yan where mystery swirls around her headstone.

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Lakeview Cemetery is known for its serene beauty and has attracted year-round, but there is one grave that gets an extra bit of attention – the Bishop/Gillette headstone.

Every October, as autumn's crisp breeze swept through the cemetery, enthusiasts of the paranormal flocked to Lakeview Cemetery to witness the enigma of the "Lady in Granite."

It is believed that the ghost haunting the grounds of Lakeview Cemetery is none other than Matilda "Tilly" Bishop Gillette, whose spirit seems to have found solace in this hallowed place.

Tilly Bishop Gillette was born in 1859 and died in 1936. Her resting place became a site of curiosity due to an astonishing phenomenon - the mysterious appearance of her reclining head on the dark granite headstone. No amount of cleaning of the stone can wash away the appearance of Tilly's head.

According to local lore, Tilly's spirit has become intertwined with the very stone that marks her final resting place. Many believed that with the passage of time, the specter of Tilly's entire form will materialize, allowing her to continue to wander the cemetery and haunt the nearby community. Whispers spread that Tilly's spirit wanted to share her story or maybe even find some closure although what the story is or why she would need closure remains a mystery.

Visitors, drawn by curiosity and the love for eerie tales, roamed the cemetery grounds during the hours between dusk and dawn. Some claimed to have felt a delicate touch from an unseen force as they approached the Gillette headstone. Others reported a strange connection with Tilly's spirit as if her presence enveloped them in a melancholic embrace.

The legend of the Lady in Granite became a source of fascination and intrigue far beyond the borders of Penn Yan. Paranormal investigators ventured to Lakeview Cemetery, their equipment hoping to capture evidence of the supernatural.

As the years have passed, the Bishop/Gillette headstone has become a symbol of the enduring nature of the human spirit. Many can't help but wonder what the message is that Tilly's ghost so desperately wants to share.