Dublin Core
Title
Centennial Monograph: Saint Bridget’s Cemetery
Description
The history of St. Bridget's Cemetery, which actually predates the parish in Maynard, from 1869 through the 1940s.
Creator
Birger Koski
Date
1969-03
Identifier
2019.243
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
The St. Bridget's Cemetery land was bought and laid out in 1869 two years before St. Bridget's Catholic Parish (1871) came into being and while still a mission of the Marlboro Parish.
According to Gutteridge's History of Maynard many burials of Assabet Village Catholics took place in Saxonville as part of St. George's Parish. However, there
are a few stones in St. Bridget's Cemetery indicating that some Catholics were buried on that land prior to 1869 or interred later; O’Donnell, dated May 28, 1959, Hurley, 1863; Owens, 1865; Doyle, Sept. 12, 1866. This would further indicate that prior to 1857 when Union Hall was built - and which the village Catholics used until 1866 - Catholics walked to Saxonville for services and had at intervals masses in homes - had no formal organization.
The first person interred in St. Bridget's Cemetery after it was laid out was James Heffernan, a Civil War veteran - date April 12, 187O.
The Town meeting of March 10, 1873 voted to appropriate $300 to fence the Catholic Cemetery - then voted to re-consider the vote granting money to fence the Catholic Cemetery and passed over the article. (Apparently municipal money could not be appropriated for any but a municipal cemetery.)
January 19, 1900 - St. Bridget's Parish to improve the cemetery by the erection of a suitable entrance and stone fence. Architects: McGinnis, Walsh and Sullivan (Boston).
February 23, 1900 - Plans for gate and entrance nears completion. Fence also to be built provided any funds left. The entrance will be 35 feet wide, masonry
of fancy brick with limestone trim and surmounted with hood of antique oak.
March 30, 1900 - Bridget's National Festival to take place at Music Hall to raise funds for cemetery funds. Booths of all sorts for sale of goods.
July 25, 1902 - John Kelly, Contractor, starts work on new tomb for St. Bridget's Cemetery.
May 24, 1938 - Voted at town meeting the sum of $700 to be paid to St. Bridget's Parish for the perpetual care of seven veteran's graves at St. Bridget's cemetery.
This appropriation not approved by Commission of Corporations and Taxation for while you may appropriate money for the care of these lots no authorization exists which would allow the town to establish perpetual care funds for such a purpose.
1939 - Voted to rescind the action taken under Article 16 at town meeting of May 24, I938.
1940 - Care of veteran's lots at St. Bridget's. $I6.
1941 - Voted sum of $25 to provide for care of veterans' lots at St. Bridget's, in accordance with Chapter 115, Section 22 G.L.
I am indebted to Gutteridge's History of Maynard (1921), all dates from 1900-02, Maynard News, and Ralph Sheridan for research in the Town Meeting records.
Read at the March, 1969 Meeting of Maynard Historical Society
B.R.KOSKI
According to Gutteridge's History of Maynard many burials of Assabet Village Catholics took place in Saxonville as part of St. George's Parish. However, there
are a few stones in St. Bridget's Cemetery indicating that some Catholics were buried on that land prior to 1869 or interred later; O’Donnell, dated May 28, 1959, Hurley, 1863; Owens, 1865; Doyle, Sept. 12, 1866. This would further indicate that prior to 1857 when Union Hall was built - and which the village Catholics used until 1866 - Catholics walked to Saxonville for services and had at intervals masses in homes - had no formal organization.
The first person interred in St. Bridget's Cemetery after it was laid out was James Heffernan, a Civil War veteran - date April 12, 187O.
The Town meeting of March 10, 1873 voted to appropriate $300 to fence the Catholic Cemetery - then voted to re-consider the vote granting money to fence the Catholic Cemetery and passed over the article. (Apparently municipal money could not be appropriated for any but a municipal cemetery.)
January 19, 1900 - St. Bridget's Parish to improve the cemetery by the erection of a suitable entrance and stone fence. Architects: McGinnis, Walsh and Sullivan (Boston).
February 23, 1900 - Plans for gate and entrance nears completion. Fence also to be built provided any funds left. The entrance will be 35 feet wide, masonry
of fancy brick with limestone trim and surmounted with hood of antique oak.
March 30, 1900 - Bridget's National Festival to take place at Music Hall to raise funds for cemetery funds. Booths of all sorts for sale of goods.
July 25, 1902 - John Kelly, Contractor, starts work on new tomb for St. Bridget's Cemetery.
May 24, 1938 - Voted at town meeting the sum of $700 to be paid to St. Bridget's Parish for the perpetual care of seven veteran's graves at St. Bridget's cemetery.
This appropriation not approved by Commission of Corporations and Taxation for while you may appropriate money for the care of these lots no authorization exists which would allow the town to establish perpetual care funds for such a purpose.
1939 - Voted to rescind the action taken under Article 16 at town meeting of May 24, I938.
1940 - Care of veteran's lots at St. Bridget's. $I6.
1941 - Voted sum of $25 to provide for care of veterans' lots at St. Bridget's, in accordance with Chapter 115, Section 22 G.L.
I am indebted to Gutteridge's History of Maynard (1921), all dates from 1900-02, Maynard News, and Ralph Sheridan for research in the Town Meeting records.
Read at the March, 1969 Meeting of Maynard Historical Society
B.R.KOSKI
Storage
SU9-4