Togus National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located at Togus, Kennebec County, Maine. Administered by the

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

, it encompasses , and as of the end of 2020, had more than 5,300 interments. It is closed to new interments.

History

Named for an Algonquian Native American word for mineral water, the area the cemetery resides on was formerly a hotel and resort known as Togus Springs. The resort failed as a business due to the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, and its owner died shortly thereafter. The federal government purchased the property for 50,000 dollars and established a veteran care facility. The first veterans were admitted on November 10, 1866. The facility was expanded and eventually had the capacity for 3,000 veterans. The cemetery itself is divided into two plots, the West Cemetery and the East Cemetery. The older West Cemetery was first established in 1865 and moved to its present location in 1867; it closed for interments in 1936. The East Cemetery was opened in 1936 to provide additional interment space. It was closed for interments in 1961.

Notable interments

* Private David John Scannell,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipient for action in the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

. * John Preston,

recipient for action in the Civil War

External links

Togus National Cemetery

National Cemetery Administration
* * * {{HALS , survey=ME-2 , id=me0334 , title=Togus National Cemetery, 1 VA Center, Togus, Kennebec County, ME , photos=33 , cap=4 Cemeteries in Kennebec County, Maine United States national cemeteries Historic American Landscapes Survey in Maine 1865 establishments in Maine