PAGenWeb Archives - Tombstone Carvers

NEIBERT & CO.

     Neibert & Co., of West Newton, Westmoreland County, consisted of two generations of Neiberts, including Adam, Michael, and Andrew Neibert, and probably at least two other stone carvers.

     Adam Neibert, born c.1800 in Germany, and Michael Neibert, born c.1828 in Germany, were both living in West Newton with their families in 1850, and were both listed as stone cutters in the 1850 U.S. Census. I would like to think that they were father and son but that is only speculation on my part. Adam and Michael, and their sons, Adam and Andrew, continued the stone cutting tradition in West Newton until at least 1880. All in all, there were four Adam Neiberts in these two families and to avoid confusion I have labeled them Adam #1, Adam #2, Adam #3, and Adam #4.

     The 1850 census shows Adam Neibert #1, a 50 year old stone cutter, living with his wife, Barbara and two children, including Adam #2, a 17 year old stone cutter. Also shown was Michael Neibert, a 22 year old stone cutter, living with his wife Sophia and their 2 year old son, Adam #3.

     The 1860 census showed Adam #1 and Adam #2 both as stone cutters, and also Michael. Also, living/boarding just a few houses away from Adam were two other men who listed their occupation as stone cutter, who may have worked with the Neiberts. The handwriting of the census enumerator was very poor but their names appeared to be John Ward, 43, and John Momyer, 31.

     Pomeroy’s 1867 Atlas of Westmoreland County shows “M. Neibert & Co.” located on Water Street near the north end of West Newton. Across the street is the “A. Neibert Estate”, indicating that Adam Neibert (#1) had died. This supposition is reinforced by the 1870 census that shows Adam’s wife, Barbara, living without a husband. The atlas shows the Michael Neibert residence nearby on Second Street.

     The 1870 census shows Adam #1’s widow, Barbara, living only with two other adults, Ross and Mary Lewis, perhaps friends or relatives. Two houses away were Michael Albig, 23, and his wife and children; and Jacob Anderson, 23. Both Albig and Anderson listed their occupation as stone cutter, and Albig was related to the Neiberts by marriage, indicating that they probably worked for Neiberts. Adam #2, still a stone cutter, had now married and had two children, including 3 year old Adam #4. Michael Neibert’s occupation was still listed as stone cutter and he and his wife Sophia had seven children living at home, including 22 year old Adam #3, who worked at the coal shaft.

     By 1880 Adam #2 had also apparently died, as his wife was living alone and their two children, Annie and Adam #4 were living with aunts and uncles. Adam #3 was working as a laborer. Michael, now 52, was still working as a stone cutter, as was his 20 year old son, Andrew.

     But this was apparently the end of the Neibert stone cutting dynasty. I have seen stones by Neibert in seven Westmoreland County cemeteries but none newer than 1880. There are no census records for 1890, but by 1900, Adam #3, Michael, and Andrew had all disappeared from the census. Adam #4 and his family were the only Neiberts remaining in West Newton; his occupation was listed as druggist.

printable text version of biography

Known Examples of

Neibert & Company

stone carvings

Mill Grove Cemetery

South Huntingdon Township, Westmorleand County