History

FOREST HILLS CEMETERY WAS FOUNDED IN 1848 by Henry A. S. Dearborn, then mayor of Roxbury. He designed this magnificent cemetery to offer the citizens of his community a place to bury and remember friends and family in a tranquil and lovely setting. At the same time, he intended to create a place which urban dwellers could visit to connect with nature, refresh the spirit, and take delight in beauty. In effect, he created Boston’s first public park; Forest Hills Cemetery preceded the Emerald Necklace by 30 years. Dearborn pioneered the picturesque, romantic style of landscape design which would later influence Frederick Law Olmsted and the evolution of American landscape.

A superb example of the 19th century rural garden cemetery movement, Forest Hills Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It reflects changing attitudes about death and a cultural shift away from the severe style of the burial grounds of colonial New England. It offers a gentler concept of death as eternal rest, and is rooted in a romantic vision of spiritual renewal through unity with nature.

Art quickly became an integral element of the landscape of Forest Hills, as prominent people of the 19th century often commissioned personal memorials from the finest sculptors and artisans. These memorials were intended to celebrate their achievements and to leave a legacy for the coming generations. These were attractions in the 19th century just as they are today, and people learned about the latest in American art and architecture by touring the grounds.

Forest Hills Cemetery is an active burial ground and is devoted to providing and maintaining a permanent place for the memorialization of deceased individuals. It is the Cemetery’s mission to provide a comfortable, respectful environment for reflection, meditation, prayer, ceremony or other methods of memorialization. Forest Hills believes that an appropriate environment is one of tranquility, peace and beauty. It is with this belief that we ask that our policies be observed.