Forestdale Cemetery is a public secular cemetery located in

Holyoke, Massachusetts Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. Located north of Springfield ...

. The cemetery was officially organized on November 1, 1860, after a town meeting in October of that year designated a sum of $1,500 dollars (approx. $41,000 2016 USD) for the purchase of land; contributions for this land came from the Holyoke Water Power Company as well as local mills, with the acquisitions presided over by Jones S. Davis, engineer of Lyman Mills. The cemetery acquisitions were completed and dedicated on June 22, 1862 with speeches by

Amherst Amherst may refer to: People * Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name * Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst'' * Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...

professor J.G. Voss and one of Holyoke's founding figures, George C. Ewing. The cemetery, built during a time of great interest in

landscape architecture Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...

, contains a deliberately chosen layout of ornamental trees and shrubs. In addition to the many founding families of Holyoke, the cemetery is the resting place of many of the city's mayors and city officials, including

William Whiting II William Whiting (May 24, 1841 – January 9, 1911) was an American businessman and politician from Holyoke, Massachusetts. Whiting descended from an English family who first settled in Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest muni ...

and Roswell P. Crafts. Serving as a common burial ground for all citizens, it also contains a

potter's field A potter's field, paupers' grave or common grave is a place for the burial of unknown, unclaimed or indigent people. "Potter's field" is of Biblical origin, referring to Akeldama (meaning ''field of blood'' in Aramaic), stated to have been pu ...

for indigents.

Notable burials

* Lettie S. Bigelow, poet and author * Roswell P. Crafts *

Gallery

File:Forestdale holding tomb, Forestdale Cemetery, Holyoke, Massachusetts.jpg, The cemetery's holding tomb, built soon after the American Civil War File:Skinner memorial obverse, Forestdale Cemetery, Holyoke, Massachusetts.jpg, The Skinner family monument File:Farr family headstone, Forestdale Cemetery, Holyoke, Massachusetts.jpg, Farr family headstone File:Whiting tomb, Forestdale Cemetery, Holyoke, Massachusetts.jpg, The Whiting family tomb

Notes

References

{{reflist 1860 establishments in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Holyoke, Massachusetts Cemeteries in Hampden County, Massachusetts Cemeteries established in the 1860s