[MassHistPres] lost 19th century cemetery

[Linda P.]

Hello,
You should read Mass General Laws, Part lV, Title l, Chap 272, Sect. 73. Also Supreme Court ruling #17-647, I think that's the correct number.
Both reads should give some guidance.
Linda Prescott
Chelmsford Historical Commission

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________________________________
From: MassHistPres <masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu> on behalf of Rowcroft, Jessica (DCR) <jessica.rowcroft at state.ma.us>
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2019 11:43:42 AM
To: Richard McGrath <mastermasonmcgrath at gmail.com>; masshistpres at cs.umb.edu <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] lost 19th century cemetery


There is a section in the DCR Cemetery Guidelines (see the chapter on Administrative Management) that provides a list of Massachusetts laws regarding cemetery protection that you may want to review to see if any apply to the situation in Lunenberg:



https://www.mass.gov/doc/preservation-guidelines-for-municipally-owned-historic-burial-grounds-and-cemeteries/download





Jessica A. Rowcroft

Office of Cultural Resources

Department of Conservation & Recreation

251 Causeway St, Suite 600

Boston, MA 02114

ph:  617.626.1380

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/





From: MassHistPres <masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu> On Behalf Of Richard McGrath
Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2019 5:24 PM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] lost 19th century cemetery



Dear members. A lost and forgotten cemetery plot in the Town of Lunenburg has been approximately located. The farmland on which it is,was developed in the 1950's into house lots. The cemetery stones were dismantled and the plot included in the property of 1 house. Recently the historical society found one broken grave stone which had been laid with the others, letters side down,as a sidewalk for a nearby house......all but the broken one had been given away previously and are lost to us.The Lunenburg Historical Commission has restored the broken stone. A marble blank from the era was found in a nearby barn and a bronze plaque inscribed with the names of the seven buried there has been set into it. The stones will be set near the street in front of the plot.

Does any one know the legality of desecrating such a cemetery? Does the plot, which we believe now stands on someones property, belong to the town or state? Any information that you have on this subject would be helpful.



Regards, Richard McGrath, member Lunenburg Historical Society
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