By Helen Nickole 

About a year ago the Ashland Village Burial Ground was an historic cemetery located in the heart of downtown behind the Federated church that had been all but forgotten. It sat mostly unnoticed, in extreme disrepair and overgrown with invasive plants and trees.  Many of the gravestones were not even readable. Many more were broken or leaning. 

A group of Ashland residents came together to see what options might be possible to return this historic site to a place of natural beauty and restore the gravestones to the respectable condition they deserve. Collaboration between the Ashland Historical Commission and the Ashland Historical Society formed to look at what could be done.

Eventually a Cemetery Working group of citizens was formed. This group researched the options and the best way to approach this restoration project. After much collaboration and research, it was decided that community engagement, volunteerism and forming partnerships within the town and town government would be the most successful approach. 

There were expenses that needed to be addressed for the cleanup and through community partnerships the funds needed for the cleanup and the beginning stages of restoration were achieved thanks to valuable community financial partners: Needham Bank, Realty Executives Boston West, Ashland’s 126 Self Storage, Ashland Lions, Ashland Historical Society, Ashland Historic Commission and an anonymous local business.

Today the Village Burial Ground is in its initial phase of cleanup and restoration. Planning started last fall with the Cemetery Working Group having had three successful events at the Village Burial Ground site. The first two events were brush and invasive plant removal events. The third event was a cleanup weekend of gravestones and training of volunteers in gravestone leveling and small repairs. 

There was a group of professional conservators overseeing the site work and training at our June event. A small group of trained volunteers is continuing to do additional work. So far onsite volunteer hours for this project over the three events and some additional ongoing site work is 308.5 hours. That does not include organization, research and other off-site work. 

RESULT: Fifteen gravestones were restored/repaired:

Francis C. Claflin, George Nickerson Obelisk, William Waite, Calvin & Susan Graves, Edwin Knowlton, Mary Chickering, A. A. Whittemore, S. E. Whittemore, Eldora Whittemore, Charles Whittemore, Ella Whittemore, Edmund Whittemore, Guy Family Obelisk, E. Pratt, Mary Tilton.

Large amounts of brush, invasive plants and trees have been removed.

This is just the beginning of the work needed at the historic site of the Village Burial Ground. The cemetery working group is now planning additional cleanup and restoration events this coming fall. In addition, the Cemetery Working Group is evaluating options for professional assessment of the gravestones and professional restoration. Community participation is a vital part of this ongoing project. 

We need the community to come out this fall as they did this spring. Please be watching for the information which will be coming ahead of the fall events. In the meantime, stop by to take a look at the Village Burial Ground and you will see the transformation that has already occurred. We know you will be inspired to get involved. The rewards are priceless!

We are currently seeking volunteers to participate in the ongoing organization and work needed for this project. If you would be interested in any of the following volunteer opportunities: research, on site labor (this is for work being done in between big events), fundraising and promotion please email me Helen Nickole at:  [email protected].