Abington Considers Taking Over Historic Hillside Cemetery

Board of Selectmen Discusses Acquisition of 1828 Burial Ground with Revolutionary War Veterans

ABINGTON, MA - September 23 - The Abington Board of Selectmen is exploring the possibility of acquiring Hillside Cemetery, a historic burial ground dating back to 1828 that contains graves of veterans from various wars, including a Revolutionary War soldier buried there in 1796.

Gene Blanchard, president of the Hillside Cemetery Association, presented the cemetery's history and current challenges to the board during its Sept. 23 meeting.

"Hillside is a cemetery on Route 139, just before you get to the Weymouth Line. It was formed by a group of neighbors and interested citizens in 1828," Blanchard said.

The cemetery, which contains about 930 grave sites, was initially purchased for $35 by 23 individuals. It includes graves predating its official establishment, with the oldest belonging to Revolutionary War soldier Captain Cornelius Dunham from 1796.

At least 30 veterans are buried in Hillside, representing conflicts from the Revolutionary War through the Korean War.

Blanchard explained that the cemetery has been maintained by a local group since around 1900, but funding has become increasingly difficult as the number of donors decreases.

"As you can imagine, with an old cemetery, the number of donors continuously decreases as people die off and move away," he said.

The board discussed potential legal avenues for the town to take over the cemetery's maintenance and ownership.

Board Chairman Kevin Donovan noted, "I think there's two particular statutes that would allow the town to move forward with it, both of which would require a Town Meeting vote."

Donovan emphasized the town's responsibility to care for the veterans buried there. "I think the town has, in my opinion, a superintendency custodianship that we should be looking after the veterans as it relates to that," he said.

The board voted unanimously to begin the process of exploring the acquisition, which would involve presenting the matter at a Town Meeting and potentially petitioning the Supreme Judicial Court.

Blanchard welcomed the town's interest, stating, "I'm entirely in agreement. I think further discussion has to be taken because there are a couple of different ways this could go."

In other business, the board approved the sale of a $2,685,000 general obligation bond at 4.75% interest. The bond sale, dated Sept. 30, 2024, was approved with four votes in favor and one abstention from newly elected board member Amanda Zompetti, who was not present when the bond was initially discussed.

The board also heard from Bob Manning of Abington Celebrates, who provided an update on the upcoming Oktoberfest weekend scheduled for Oct. 4-6.

Manning detailed various events, including a trivia night, marketplace, walking tours, and family activities. "We're going to have food, lots of food, lots of food. Did I say lots of food? And it's Oktoberfest, so there's going to be a little nourishment there too," Manning said.

The board approved a request from the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee to hold the 44th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 16 at 1 p.m., following the usual route through North Abington Center.