Do The Right Thing: Restore State Hospital Cemeteries
Fact Sheet
Thousands of graves lay abandoned, decaying and neglected in state hospital cemeteries, state schools, public
health hospitals and prisons around the Commonwealth.
At Danvers State Hospital we found over 700 graves in two cemeteries. Each grave is marked only by a number
and the State has lost the record of what name goes with what number. The cemeteries were completely overgrown
"lost". A landscaper estimated that there were at least 35 years of overgrowth at the two cemeteries.
There are more forgotten and neglected cemeteries: At Northampton State Hospital; Medfield State Hospital;
Foxboro State Hospital; Gardiner State Hospital; Worcester State Hospital; Metropolitan State Hospital;
and Boston State Hospital.
The ex-patients buried there are human beings. Many were forgotten in life. We must not forget them in death.
Senate Bill 1401, in the State Administration Committee, will come before the legislature on May 26th. This bill
calls for the establishment of a Commonwealth Public Facilities Reuse Fund for the purpose of:
- Preserving, maintaining and memorializing cemeteries on state facility properties.
- These properties would include current and former prisons, state schools for people
with developmental disabilities, Public Health hospitals, and state mental institutions.
- The funds for cemetery restoration will come from the sale of state hospital lands.
We need your support!
- Will your organization endorse the bill and our amendment to increase the amount of
money allocated for cemetery restoration and to preserve them in-perpetuity?
- Will your organization work with us to turn out people to speak at the legislative hearing
on May 26th, 1999 at 1 PM in Room A2 at the State House?
- Will you contact your local legislators in support of the bill and our amendment to
increase the amount of money allocated for cemetery restoration?
- Will you call the Chairpersons of the State Administration Committee, Sen.
Diane Wilkerson (D-Boston) 617-722-1673 and Rep. Geoffrey Hall (D-Westford) at
617-722-2320 Tell them why you support Senate Bill 1401 with amendments.
We are the Danvers State Memorial Committee, a group of ex-patients and supporters, who are dedicated to restoring
cemeteries at state facilities in Massachusetts. Call us at 978-462-7258 or ask for Ruthie Poole at 978-687-4288.