Lincoln Cemetery Association
Lincoln, Vermont
What is The Lincoln Cemetery Association?
The Lincoln Cemetery Association is composed of 6 volunteer townsfolk, who take responsibility for the many activities related to the care, maintenance, functioning, and planning for the future of our town cemeteries. These activities include but are not limited to:
- Selling of plot locations and deed recording
- Working with funeral home and vault installer for each burial, including verifying and physically marking plot locations
- Working with stone manufacturers to install gravestones, and again marking locations
- Dealing with grieving families and answering their questions
- Fielding calls and questions from families and genealogists regarding who’s buried where
- Contracting for care and maintenance, including mowing, plowing, tree work etc.
Thanks to these volunteers, a multitude of folks can enjoy the cemeteries in myriad ways.
Lincoln Cemetery background
Cemeteries are places of commemoration where we remember and honor our loved ones. Some Lincoln cemeteries house graves that date back centuries, telling stories of a bygone era and offering a unique perspective of the past. They are outdoor museums, presenting a rich tapestry of our community’s past and providing significant insights into the historical events and people that have shaped our community. Cemeteries also foster a connection to genealogy, ancestry and identity.
Lincoln has seven historical cemeteries of note, but the Maple Cemetery is the only currently active cemetery in town. It is the largest one and fronts the West River Road as one drives into Lincoln Center. It is a longstanding and vital part of the infrastructure of the town and provides safe, dedicated, and protected burial sites for anyone in the community who wishes to purchase a plot. With a view of the mountain and the sound of the river, it has been a place of peace for many who pay their respects to family members, friends, and veterans and seek the graves of significant individuals.
While some children visit Maple Cemetery or walk through it, the annual Lincoln School Memorial Day visit offers the chance to learn or recall where their grandparents, great-grandparents, town luminaries and others have been buried. It is also a chance for them to see the stones, but also learn about those who have fought with the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR markers are placed for all who were in the Civil War), and others who have lived and died here over the last 250 years.
"Lincoln Cemetery Association Department of deFence” plan to rehabilitate the historic fence:
The original 1907 wrought iron fence along the road in front of the cemetery dates from the Golden Age of cemetery fencing and serves as a sentinel standing guard to demarcate the cemetery as it has for over a century. It offers a touch of grandeur and sophistication, elegant and timeless. With its arched gate, it speaks to the pride former townsfolk took in their cemetery.
We are sorry to see the fence continue to rust away but, without funds to repair or replace it, that is what would happen. It would continue to become more derelict, and more of a safety concern. But, thanks to some determined townsfolk and dedicated committee members, this storied legacy is on its way to being partially repaired and historically replaced, “beautifying the resting place of those dear to us.”
A group of local citizens has recently formed the "Lincoln Cemetery Department of de Fence" under the auspices of the Lincoln Cemetery Association to raise funds and oversee the project. The total cost of the fence renovation is $40,000.00 with proposed repair/replacement work being done by local Lincoln residents. Significant pledges have already been received, but we need your help in meeting the fundraising goal.
As in the original 1907 campaign, “the citizens of the town are urgently requested to assist, even if able to give but a small amount.” Your support is crucial to our efforts in renovating the Maple Cemetery fence and improving the gateway to our town. We want to feel the support of as many people from Lincoln and beyond toward reaching this goal.
Please consider contributing whatever you can by donating online with PayPal or credit card or by check to:
Lincoln Cemetery Association
c/o Nancy Stevens
198 Landmark Dr.
Lincoln, VT 05443.
Your donation in helping to renovate the original Maple Cemetery fence will ensure that this storied sentinel stands guard over the resting place of those dear to us for yet another century. Thank you in advance for your tax-deductible contribution.