Cemetery
John Gronroos, Superintendent Phone: 978-874-7415
Hours: Monday - Friday ~ 7 AM - 3:30 PM
Westminster Cemetery Department is a member of Massachusetts Cemetery Association.
The Cemetery Office and Garage is located at 9 Narrows Road at the site of Woodside Cemetery. The Department has one full-time superintendent, John Gronroos, and five part-time employees.
Locations:
Woodside Cemetery - 9 Narrows Road
Mt. Pleasant Cemetery - Intersection of Ellis and Knower Roads
Whitmanville Cemetery - South Ashburnham Road
History
Information Source: Central Massachusetts Genealogical Society [July 2000] and a variety of other historical books.
The oldest and largest town cemetery in Westminster, today known as Woodside Cemetery, was legally established July 25, 1753, on a piece of land in Lot #19, owned by Joseph Holden, Jr., when on that date Holden transferred the deed to the proprietors. The original part of the old cemetery was located here and had been in use for some time as a son of Fairbanks Moor, Abner, was interred here in 1742. The grounds were fenced in 1765 and enlarged in 1795 and again in 1846. This cemetery is the site of the famous zinc memorials, [click on photo to the right] and the historic 1856 Hearse House, which was restored and returned to this site.
The Whitmanville Cemetery, originally called the North Burying Ground, was established in 1827 with the purchase of two acres from James Puffer, who was killed at the battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, and is buried here.
The Mount Pleasant Cemetery actually began as a private Cemetery Company, and was originally the Peabody Family lot. William Tyler Peabody died while in prison as a Civil War prisoner, in Andersonville, GA on September 1, 1864. It was established in 1852 as a result of action by a cemetery association headed by John Minot, Joseph Whitman, and George Adams when land was purchased from George Adams. The southwest portion was added in 1887 as a gift from Preston P. Ellis.
~~~ Cemetery Plots: All three cemeteries have plots available for sale to residents and non-residents. Contact the superintendent's office: 978-874-7415 for more information.