Costen Station, Cokesbury area · Dublin District No. 4 · Somerset County, Maryland
Cemetery No. 911-U-47-Southwest
Displaced stones gathered in a pile at Costen Cemetery. Click photograph to enlarge.
This family burial ground lies in the Costen Station area near Cokesbury, on land shown near the William M. Costen homesite in the 1877 Atlas of the Eastern Shore (Dublin District).
Philip L. Goldsborough’s field notes report that the stones had been displaced from their original positions and assembled in a pile. The photographs and transcription therefore document the known memorials but not their original arrangement. Spellings in the surviving record include Costen and Costin; several donor photograph filenames use Coston.
Estimated latitude38° 07′ 54.2″ N
Estimated longitude75° 35′ 35.5″ W
Status: Documented by 1995; displaced stones and threatened context reported at that time.
Transcription note: The grave transcriptions below are drawn from the original contributor record. Uncertain original readings are preserved; observations made independently from survey photographs are explicitly labeled. Original sources remain in the donor archive.
Graves Recorded
Original survey photograph of Henrietta L. Costen. Click photograph to enlarge.
Henrietta L. Costen
Transcription
In Memory of Henrietta L.
wife of William M. Costen.
Died Oct’r. 5th 1847
Aged 22 years, 6 mo’s & 22 days.
Blessed are the dead which die
in the Lord, (broken) Henceforth: Yea,
Saith the Spirit that they may rest
From their labors: and their works
Do Follow them.
The original field transcription notes that the slab is broken down its middle; some wording is incomplete.
Original survey photograph of Isaac T. Costen. Click photograph to enlarge.
Isaac T. Costen
Stone imagery: Weeping willow.
Transcription
In Memory of
Isaac T. Costen
died
Oct’r 21, 1826
aged 44 yrs. 7 mos.
& 3 days.
Field notes record footstone “I.I.C.” and the stone maker “A. Gaddes, Balto.”; the headstone photograph and transcription identify Isaac T.
Original survey photograph of Willie M. Costen. Click photograph to enlarge.
Willie M. Costen
Stone imagery: Rose with leaves and vines.
Transcription
Willie M.
son of
Samuel S. &
Josephine Costen
Born Jan’y 10,
1860
Died Dec’r 29,
1865
Original survey photograph of John H. Costen. Click photograph to enlarge.
John H. Costen
Stone imagery: Rose.
Transcription
In Memory of
John H. Costen
died
May 9, 1811
aged 2 months
Original survey photograph of William A. Costen. Click photograph to enlarge.
William A. Costen
Stone imagery: Weeping willow.
Transcription
In Memory of
William A. Costen
Born June 21’ 1853,
Died Jany, 8’ 1858
Aged 4 yrs. 6 mos.
& 17 days.
Original survey photograph of Annie M. Costin. Click photograph to enlarge.
Annie M. Costin
Transcription
Annie M.
wife of
Samuel M. Costin
born June 21, 1844
died Dec’r 18, 1868
Original survey photograph of Laura V. Costin. Click photograph to enlarge.
Laura V. Costin
Transcription
Laura V.
daughter of
S. M. & A. M. Costin,
born June 11, 1868
died Dec’r 19 1868
Shares the photographed marker with Annie M. Costin; one day after the death date recorded for Annie.
Original survey photograph of W. M. N. B. Costen. Click photograph to enlarge.
W. M. N. B. Costen
Transcription
W.M.N.B. Costen,
born Aug. 12, 1824,
died Oct. 1, 1892
aged
68 yrs. 1 mo. & 19 days.
The Lord gave and the Lord
Hath taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Job 1:21
Original survey photograph of Mary M. Costen. Click photograph to enlarge.
Mary M. Costen
Transcription
Mary M. Costen
was born April 9th 1791,
and departed this life
October 4th 1854
aged 63 years 5 months and 25 days.
They that trust in the Lord shall be as
mount Zion, which cannot be removed,
but abideth for ever.
Original survey photograph of William Costen. Click photograph to enlarge.
William Costen
Transcription
William Costen
was born
the 7th day of June 1779,
departed this life
the 23rd day of September 1842,
aged 65 years, 5 months and
16 days
You that comes my grave to see:
As I am now you soon shall be,
Prepare for death, and follow me.
Site Documentation
The images document displacement and provide an estimated site location; they do not reconstruct the original grave layout.
Group of surviving stones. Click photograph to enlarge.Contributed map showing the approximate cemetery location, not a GPS survey. Click photograph to enlarge.
Cemetery and Research Notes
The original survey warns that the stones were in poor condition and potentially at risk of disappearing. The estimated coordinates in Phil’s document were derived without a GPS reading; they should not be used to claim a surveyed grave position.
The accompanying photographs include individual stones, a view of multiple displaced markers, and a field location map.
Documentation History
February 26, 1995: Listed by Philip L. Goldsborough, Rebecca F. Miller, Clinton Long, and William “Bill” Cottman.
April 2008: Original transcription retyped by Philip L. Goldsborough; field condition and location notes preserved.
October 2026: Photographs reviewed against the field transcription for this SCP presentation.
Source: Philip L. Goldsborough, “Costen Cemetery,” original field transcription and accompanying photographs/maps, preserved in the shared cemetery collection.
