The Pine Grove Cemetery in Lynn, Massachusetts municipally owned cemetery.  Established in the mid 1800’s, it boasts a variety of historically significant features and landmarks.  The cemetery consists of approximately 82 developed acres and houses between 88,000 and 90,000 interments. The Pine Grove Cemetery Office is opened for Lot Sales, by appointment only.  

Pine Grove Cemetery is a Lynn, Massachusetts, municipally owned cemetery and has achieved notoriety by being proclaimed as one of the largest cemeteries in the country.  

Established in the mid l800’s as a privately owned cemetery, it was then sold to the City of Lynn in l850.  It boasts a variety of historically significant features and landmarks and it has been said that the burial ground, rich in history, is home to prominent artists, inventors, political leaders and even paupers.

The cemetery consists of approximately 250 developed acres which have been recorded in Ripley’s Believe It or Not as the “second longest contiguous stone wall in the world”, second only to the Great Wall of China.  The wall is built of fieldstone and was built by the WPA in the l930’s.  The Cemetery houses between 88,000 and 90,000 interments. 

Amongst the cemetery properties are architecturally distinct structures including the chapel, tomb and main office.  Pine Grove Cemetery remains intact as a well-preserved example of early picturesque cemetery design.

• The Rhodes Memorial Chapel, built in l891, is among the landmarks of Pine Grove Cemetery and an innovative design of the late l9th century Richardson Romanesque style in Lynn.  The donation by Mrs. Amos Rhodes, as a gift in memory of her husband was generously granted to the City of Lynn.  Over the years, it has been refurbished and the stained glass windows are valued at over $10,000.  Pine Grove’s name comes from the wealth of pine trees that frame the Rhodes Chapel and the entrance drive off of Boston Street.

• The Pine Grove Cemetery Receiving Tomb was originally constructed during l866-l868, part of a  building campaign following the civil War, to modernize the facilities.  The Tomb remains intact as part of the mid l9th century landscape design, made of granite ashlar construction with cast iron doorway in Ruskinian Gothic style. 

• The Cemetery Office Building on the grounds was erected in 1860, inside the Boston Street gates at the bottom of the hill leading into the Rhodes Chapel.  The Pine Grove Cemetery gates, of cast iron are valuable examples of mid l9th century civic design, well incorporated into the landscaping of the cemetery. 

• The Cemetery’s Greenhouse operations have been widely recognized across our country for the highly popular flourishing of landscape designs.  The greenhouse has twin bays where flowers and plants are grown from seed.  The plants are used for endowed lots and for flowerbeds in different locations around the cemetery and the greenhouse has a heating system to maintain temperatures year round.
  

While the most visited site at Pine Grove is the grave of Harry Aggannis, the “Golden Greek” the legendary Red Sox First basemen and BU quarterback, there are distinguished notables, including: 

• John Adams – Civil war Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, Served in the Civil War as Captain and Commander of Company I of the l9th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.  Awarded the CMOH for his bravery at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
• John Alley – Civil War, US Congressman;
• Benjamin Franklin Falls, Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient.  Served in the Civil War as Color Sergeant of Company A. l9 Massachusetts Infantry.  Awarded the CMOH for his bravery during the Third Day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
• Henry Lovering – US Congressman. Served in the Civil War in the 8th regiment, Massachusetts Infantry.  Served as a State Representative, City Assessor and Mayor of Lynn in l881 and l882.
• Lydia Pinkham, a spirited Quaker lady from Lynn who created an elixir to cure female ills.
• William Poole – Civil War, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient; served as Quartermaster on Board the USS Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg France in l864.
• Elihu Thomson was one of the most prolific inventors of all time.  He held approximately 700 electrical patents in his name. Elihu Thomson, founder of the Thomson Houston Electric Company, a genius and scientific pioneer;
• Charles Herbert Woodbury, Artist; well respecter and teacher known for his sense of the New England coast. He evoked the power of the sea, winning second prize in a Lynn contest in l880. 

In the City of Lynn, there is a Board of Cemetery Commissioners, who serve without pay and who perform and exercise the powers and duties conferred upon them by the City Charter and the General Laws of the Commonwealth.  The Commissioners shall have the sole care, superintendence and preservation of the Pine Grove Cemetery, the Eastern and Western burial grounds and of the New Light burial ground, so far as the City of Lynn has any right to exercise jurisdiction over the same, and any additional cemeteries and land which may be from time to time, acquired by the city for cemetery purposes.

The Board of Commissioners make all necessary by-laws, rules and regulations governing the sale of lots and the care and development of the cemeteries and burial grounds aforesaid not inconsistent with the terms of any agreements or deeds of trust or other conditions upon which conveyance of real estate have been or may be made to the City of Lynn for cemetery purposes, and not inconsistent with the Laws of the Commonwealth and with the further provisions of this ordinance and of any ordinances or ordinances of the City of Lynn.

The said Board is also authorized to take and hold any grants, donations, and bequests of property upon trust and to apply the same or in the income thereof for the improvement or embellishment of said cemeteries or burial grounds or for the repair, preservation or removal of any monument, or other erection, or for the planting and cultivation of plans on any lot or for any other improvement consistent with the use of said cemetery according to the limits of such grant, donation or bequest.

The Pine Grove Cemetery office is located at 145 Boston Street, Lynn, Massachusetts and is opened for lot sales by appointment only.  All cemetery records and files are located at the Lynn Department of Public Works Administrative Offices at 250 Commercial Street, Lynn, 01905 where daily cemetery operations are conducted.  Staff is available, fulltime, to answer all inquiries.  All requests for lot appointments; price scheduling and general information should be directed to (781) 268-8000 Ext: 13 or email us at cgay@ci.lynn.ma.us