Cedar Hill Cemetery

The Cedar Hill Cemetery was established in 1864 and is the final resting place for more than 31,000 people. The cemetery is set on 270 acres and in addition to serving as a cemetery is also home to art, wildlife and a peaceful destination for visitors. Cedar Hill is a National Historic Landmark. The cemetery is nonsectarian and privately managed. It is considered a rural cemetery and features sculpted monuments, landscaping and natural resources. It is one of the more unique cemeteries in New England because of its ornamental foreground of ponds and meadows. The Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation provides support and assistance to the cemetery, providing tours, planning events and educating visitors about the historical significance of the cemetery. The foundation also works to ensure that the grounds are preserved in a way befitting the history of the cemetery. Famous names who have come to rest at Cedar Hill include Jacob Weidenmann, Samuel Colt, Gideon Wells, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Thomas Gallaudet, Horace Wells, Gardner Bulkeley, J.P. Morgan, Yung Wing and Katharine Hepburn. In addition to the cemeteries deceased residents, there are a collection of living creatures on the land including white-tailed deer, coyote, red fox, rabbit, songbirds, raccoons, Canada geese, ring necked pheasant, wild turkeys, mallards and wood ducks and a variety of other water fowl.