Laurel Hill Cemetery
286 Pine Nook Road, Deerfield MA 01342
Old Deerfield Cemetery Association
(413) 774-4107
laurelhilldeerfield@gmail.com
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery, the largest historical cemetery in the Town of Deerfield, is the successor to Albany Road Cemetery (Old Burying Ground) when internments there ceased at the end of the eighteenth century. Burials span 1800 to Present and trace seven generations of impactful Deerfield families, among them the Allen, Arms, Ashley, Barnard, Childs, Dickinson, Dwight, Frary, Fuller, Hawks, Hitchcock, Nims, Sheldon, Stebbins, Wells, Williams and Wright families. Laurel Hill Cemetery is a critical link to Deerfield’s 350-year-old history.
Laurel Hill Cemetery has long been an important part of resident life from a family, cultural and religious perspective. The Cemetery is a precious historical resource that affords unique genealogical research and educational opportunities for today’s visitors and for future generations. The carved gravestones, both in terms of epitaphs and drawings, are considered significant by gravestone scholars. Equally important in terms of the rich cultural and educational history of the Town, Laurel Hill Cemetery is the permanent resting place for leading educators from Deerfield Academy and Eaglebrook School and an eternal resting place for well-known artists such as George Fuller, Augustus Vincent Tack, and Stephen Maniatty.
Laurel Hill Cemetery’s unique setting among the woods and rolling hillside along Pine Nook Road offers visitors a tranquil environment to view wildlife, appreciate nature, and absorb history. Simply put, Laurel Hill Cemetery is a precious Town of Deerfield historic resource that provides learning, interpretation and reflection opportunities for all future generations.
Executive Committee
OLD DEERFIELD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
The Association is responsible for the routine care and maintenance of Laurel Hill Cemetery, which is the property of the inhabitants of the Town of Deerfield. The Association also issues “leases in perpetuum” for available burial spaces and coordinates burials.
| President | Richard Wilby | rwsimv@yahoo.com |
| Treasurer | Mark Russo | mrusso@greenfieldsavings.com |
| Clerk | Winthrop Arms | waarms80@gmail.com |
| At-Large Member | Sue Mignault | countme@comcast.net |
| At-Large Member | Kathy Belanger | kathybelanger11@gmail.com |
| At-Large Member | Mary Marsh | hmmarsh@comcast.net |
The Association seeks active participation from other Members who are Descendants of the seven generations interred at the Cemetery—both as Individuals or Family Associations. Such participation opportunities span serving on the Executive Committee to volunteering individual support for ongoing maintenance and improvement projects.
Rules & Regulations
- OPEN DAWN TO DUSK. NO ONE PERMITTED AFTER DARK.
- NO GLASS VASES, BOTTLES OR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED.
- NO OPEN FLAMES OR CAMP FIRES ALLOWED.
- ALL GRAVE MARKERS MUST BE PRE-APPROVED BY THE OLD DEERFIELD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION PRIOR TO INSTALLATION.
- ALL PLANTINGS AT GRAVESITES ARE LIMITED TO AN 18-INCH AREA IN FRONT OF UPRIGHT, ABOVE-GROUND HEADSTONES, MONUMENTS, AND BENCHES.
- TREES, SHRUBS AND LARGE PERENNIALS MUST BE PRE-APPROVED BY THE OLD DEERFIELD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION PRIOR TO PLANTING. THE CEMETERY MAY CUT OR TRIM TREES AND SHRUBS AT ITS DISCRETION.
- STONES, SHELLS AND ANY SMALL ITEMS SHALL BE PLACED ONLY ON ABOVE-GROUND GRAVESTONES TO AVOID INTERFERENCE WITH LAWN MOWING EQUIPMENT.
- THE CEMETERY MAY REMOVE ITEMS THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE OLD DEERFIELD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION DEEMS DANGEROUS OR UNSIGHTLY.
- NEITHER THE OLD DEERFIELD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION NOR THE TOWN OF DEERFIELD SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEFT OR DAMAGE TO ITEMS LEFT IN THE CEMETERY.
- NEITHER THE OLD DEERFIELD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION NOR THE TOWN OF DEERFIELD SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INJURIES SUSTAINED WHILE VISITING THE CEMETERY. VISITORS SHOULD TAKE CARE REGARDING UNEVEN TERRAIN, HILLY TERRAIN, MUD/ICE/SNOW, FALLING AND FALLEN TREE LIMBS, AND OF COURSE, HUNDREDS OF IN-GROUND AND ABOVE-GROUND HEADSTONES, GRAVESTONES AND MONUMENTS.
Hours & Burial Information
| HOURS: | Daily, Dawn to Dusk |
| SEASONAL: | Closed to vehicles during winter ice and snow season. Pedestrians enter at their own risk throughout the year, especially during winter months. |
| LEASE FEE PER BURIAL SPACE: | $800.00 |
| BURIAL FEE: | $200.00 |
Historical References
Inquire at
MEMORIAL LIBRARIES
6 Memorial Street, Deerfield MA 01342
(413) 775-7125
References:
"Laurel Hill Cemetery Lot Burial Book"
&
“Cemeteries of Deerfield”
Epitaphs Transcribed by Edith Clark Nyman
(1981)
Click here to view this excerpt for Laurel Hill Cemetery