Master Craftsman, Folk Artist. One of the most skilled and prolific gravestone carvers in colonial America, Price's work began to appear in the burial grounds of northern New Jersey in 1757, and his distinctive style was amplified in the efforts of his apprentices Abner Stewart, David Jeffries, and J. Acken both during his lifetime and after his death. His career of 31 years is notable for the technical mastery seen even in his earliest stones, and for the creativity with which he used his extensive vocabulary of images. Carving exclusively in locally quarried brown and red sandstone, Price was instrumental in establishing the bold, expansive style typical of gravestones from the mid-Atlantic colonies. Born in Elizabethtown, New Jersey in 1728, he was influenced by his Puritan ancestry and the cosmopolitan character of this busy port city where he established his professional workshop and remained a lifelong resident. His gravestones often feature dignified, bas relief soul effigies with deep-set eyes, borders derived from Grecian columns, and tulips, rosettes, and epitaphs inscribed within shallowly incised hearts. His florals, in particular, are evocative of German "fraktur" decoration. Unlike most craftsmen in his field, Price usually identified his work with his name in full or the initials "E P." After his death at age 60, his workshop continued to thrive under the direction of his former apprentice, 21-year-old Abner Stewart. Price's modest epitaph indicates that he was mourned by a wife and children, but only alludes to his great artistry: "His frugal hands no more provide, We trust he rests at Jesus' side."
Master Craftsman, Folk Artist. One of the most skilled and prolific gravestone carvers in colonial America, Price's work began to appear in the burial grounds of northern New Jersey in 1757, and his distinctive style was amplified in the efforts of his apprentices Abner Stewart, David Jeffries, and J. Acken both during his lifetime and after his death. His career of 31 years is notable for the technical mastery seen even in his earliest stones, and for the creativity with which he used his extensive vocabulary of images. Carving exclusively in locally quarried brown and red sandstone, Price was instrumental in establishing the bold, expansive style typical of gravestones from the mid-Atlantic colonies. Born in Elizabethtown, New Jersey in 1728, he was influenced by his Puritan ancestry and the cosmopolitan character of this busy port city where he established his professional workshop and remained a lifelong resident. His gravestones often feature dignified, bas relief soul effigies with deep-set eyes, borders derived from Grecian columns, and tulips, rosettes, and epitaphs inscribed within shallowly incised hearts. His florals, in particular, are evocative of German "fraktur" decoration. Unlike most craftsmen in his field, Price usually identified his work with his name in full or the initials "E P." After his death at age 60, his workshop continued to thrive under the direction of his former apprentice, 21-year-old Abner Stewart. Price's modest epitaph indicates that he was mourned by a wife and children, but only alludes to his great artistry: "His frugal hands no more provide, We trust he rests at Jesus' side."
Bio by: Nikita Barlow
Inscription
In Memory of
Mr Ebenezer Price, who
departed this life De
cember the 23d 1788,
in the LXth Year of his
Age
"Seek ye the Lord
while he may be found."
Wife and children may deplore
The Husband Father is no more
His frugal hands no more provide
We trust he rests at Jesus side.
Family Members
Spouse
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