PAGenWeb Archives - Tombstone Carvers

G. B. COOK

J. R. COOK

The Cookstown Cutters

(Biography and Photographs contibuted by Bill Plack)

George Thurston’s 1859 Directory of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny Valleys tells us that Fayette City was founded by Col. Edward Cook, who came to the area in 1770. The town was first settled in 1794 and laid out by Col. Cook who called it Freeport. The name was later changed to Cookstown, and finally, around the 1850’s, to Fayette City. Thurston notes that in 1859 the town included 2 churches, 2 hotels, 2 fraternal lodges, a public school, 12 stores, 3 inactive glass works, and three quite extensive marble works, although he only lists two of them. One was the Fayette City Marble Works at 3rd Street near Market, operated by George B. Cook, whose residence was at the corner of California Street and Connellsville Road.

The other marble works was only identified as James R. Cook, marble cutter, whose shop was at the corner of 3rd and Fording and residence at Second near Fording.

Some of the tombstones I have found that are signed by G.B. and J.R. Cook are marked "Cookstown, Pa." and others are marked "Fayette City, Pa.".

Although it is possible that George and James Cook were related to Col. Cook, the records indicate that neither of them was his son. However, it does seem quite likely that George and James were closely related to each other, possibly brothers, since two of James’s children had the same name as George and his wife, Amanda.