Inspired by the “rural cemetery movement”
Established in the 19th Century
Located near the picturesque Blue Hills Reservation twelve miles from the historic heart of Boston, Blue Hill Cemetery was established as a private, non-sectarian organization in 1892 by a group of public-minded and forward-thinking citizens. Inspired by the “rural cemetery movement” that arose in mid-19th century America, and which emphasized landscape architecture as in integral element of cemetery design, Blue Hill Cemetery found its purpose in fulfilling the death care and permanent memorialization needs of residents from Braintree and the surrounding South Shore and south-suburban communities. The ensuing decades brought significant changes in death care practices. In honoring our past with an eye on the future, Blue Hill Cemetery has experienced remarkable growth and expansion due to the foresight and planning of its executive leadership and board of directors as well as its response to society’s ever-evolving customs, traditions, and beliefs associated with death care, bereavement, and memorialization.
Into the 20th Century
Continued Growth
In realizing and fulfilling the public need for desirable cemetery space, the design and later development resulted in beautifully landscaped sections for the permanent memorialization of family and friends. One section was dedicated exclusively to the in-ground and mausoleum placement and permanent memorialization of veterans and their spouses. Further growth included the Garden of Gethsemane, a community mausoleum with crypts for placement and permanent memorialization of decedents in caskets and a columbarium with niches for placement and permanent memorialization of cremated remains in urns.
Beginning In the early decades of the 20th century and continuing through World War II and into the mid-century, several monument and memorial park sections were developed and opened. During this time, the landscape architecture firm founded by Frederick Law Olmstead took part in the design of Blue Hill Cemetery. Olmsted is well known for designing the Emerald Necklace in Boston and Central Park in New York City.
Evolution & Change
in the 21st Century
Previously undeveloped western and northwestern areas of the cemetery property evolved into several new sections for the burial and permanent memorialization of decedents in caskets and cremated remains in urns. A new community mausoleum and columbarium complex, the Garden of Ascension, was opened in 2004. In 2013, construction began on our state-of-the-art crematory facility. The crematory and Ridge Room opened in 2014, thus beginning our partnership with area funeral directors and funeral homes in fulfilling their clients’ requests for cremation and cremation-related services.
Committal and permanent memorialization options that became available in 2022 include Woodland Path, a granite columbarium structure containing ninety-six private niches for the inurnment of cremated remains. In the following years, three new interment sections, 41-E, 42, and 39, were developed for the interment of caskets and cremation urns.
In June 2023, we installed Woodland Terrace Colubarium Garden and Ossuary. Woodland Terrace is a beautifully arranged grouping of three individual granite columbaria with a total of four-hundred-seventy-two niches for the placement and permanent memorialization of cremated remains in urns. The central columbarium contains an ossuary; please refer to the ossuary information in Woodland Path Columbarium and Ossuary above. Blue Hill Cemetery currently has 100 acres of developed space in use with an additional 26 acres in the eastern and northeastern areas of the cemetery property being developed for the placement and permanent memorialization needs of generations to come.
Forever entrusted in our care
Our Pledge
As the South Shore’s preeminent cemetery, Forever Entrusted to Our Care is a pledge to which we faithfully dedicate ourselves every day of every season. From the late 19th century and well into the 21st century, the sole purpose of our organization remains unwavering; to develop, nurture and maintain a place of permanent memorialization set in a pastoral sanctuary of reverence, remembrance, and repose.
