In approximately 1835 (and possibly earlier) an area around 4 acres was assigned to the Maid Hill Cemetery. From 1835 to 1842, approximately 57 individuals were buried at that site. In January of 1842, these lands were purchased from the Moses Brown Estate and work was begun to turn it into the Oak Hill Cemetery as a grove of oak trees were within the property. Streets and paths were laid out. It was officially incorporated June 20th, 1842 and consecrated on July 21st, 1842.
At the time, there was a significant movement to make cemeteries as parks to be visited, embellished with gardens and enjoyed as quiet meditative places. Mount Auburn in Boston is a prime example of this trend. Oak Hill is considered one of the first of the ‘park’ and ‘garden’ cemeteries in the nation.
During the consecration ceremonies, the Reverend Jonathan F. Stearns, of the First Presbyterian Society (Old South Church), addressed the audience and said,
“………We do not think to vie with Mount Auburn or Harmony Grove. It is enough for us if we secure to ourselves a quiet, tasteful, hallowed spot, where the dust of our departing friends may be treasured, and where we ourselves may repose by their side, when a few more of these suns shall have set. Such a spot “Oak Hill Cemetery” is – a perfect gem in its kind……”
The first burial in the new cemetery was Charles Lord, the eleven-year-old son of Moses Lord, who had drowned.
For the next twenty years, ornamental shade trees, shrubbery, and flowers were planted. Included were over 100 varieties of trees and shrubs. The cemetery is noted for the dignity and beauty of the natural setting and has slowly grown to over forty acres.
In 1855, a way leading from State Street to Brown Street was extended to the cemetery. It created the main entrance. Later, a large three-arched granite gate was installed donated by John S.Tappan of New York and was erected in July 1864.
In 1894, additional land was purchased, extending the southern limit all the way to Parker Street where another gate guards the street and was donated by John T. Brown.
Ellen T. Brown Memorial Chapel
Mr. Brown also gave the Memorial Chapel in memory of his wife, Ellen T. Brown in 1901. This building was dedicated on July 4th, 1914. The Chapel was designed by native, architect Edwin Sherrill Dodge, who is famous for designing the beautiful Newburyport High School. A Neo-palladian building, a style named after Italian architect Andrea Pallado, and was made with Rockport granite blocks brought up from Cambridge via freight. Inside the chapel, tiles imported from Wales adorn the floor. Light floods in from six-foot-high windows reflecting off the arch ceiling. Fourteen handmade wooden pews were provided for seating. (Thirteen still exist as of 2024)
Often used for funerals, it was closed in 1953 because the heating system was inadequate and most present-day ceremonies are conducted in funeral homes causing the building to be little used. The board of trustees undertook the project of restoring the chapel in August 2007 and the exterior restoration was completed by November of 2007.
Still an active burial ground, Oak Hill is a place for reflection and quiet walks through beautiful landscape, to enjoy bird watching and photography, and to reminisce about the rich history of Newburyport.
Since the fall of 2007, the cemetery has received funding from the Arakelian Foundation, Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank, the Newburyport Community Preservation Committee, the Essex National Heritage Commission, and the Historic Gardens of Newburyport and Its Environs. Funding is assisting the trustees with the Ellen T. Brown Memorial Chapel, and the gravestone and heritage tree restoration