Searles Hill Cemetery - Phillipston, MA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member nomadwillie
N 42° 31.895 W 072° 07.603
18T E 735976 N 4712802
The Searles Hill Cemetery was established in 1777 on land donated by an early settler for the purpose in 1759, it is the town's oldest cemetery.
Waymark Code: WM17B7H
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 01/18/2023
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member iconions
Views: 0

The Searles Hill Cemetery is a historic cemetery near the junction of Searles Hill Road and Old Queen Lake Road in Phillipston, Massachusetts. Established in 1777 on land donated by an early settler for the purpose in 1759, it is the town's oldest cemetery. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 15, 2011.

The Searles Hill Cemetery is located in rural southern Phillipston, on 3.3 acres (1.3 ha) on the east side of Searles Hill Road north of its junction with Old Queen Lake Road; the latter is historically part of a major east-west route through the area. The cemeter is roughly rectangular in shape, with 330 feet (100 m) of road frontage lined by a stone wall of cut granite about 4 feet (1.2 m) high. The wall is set off from the road by a row of mature maple trees, and has a single entry gate flanked by granite posts. Fieldstone walls line the other three sides of the property. There is no formal circulation pattern within the cemetery grounds, with most markers arrayed generally in lines, grouped by family. There is one family plot, that of the Stratton family, that is set off by a steel rail fence with granite posts. Most of the cemetery's 98 markers are made of slate or marble; the oldest dated marker is from 1777.

Phillipston was originally part of Templeton, which was settled about 1750 and incorporated in 1762. Phillipston was separated from Templeton in 1786 as the town of Gerry, and was renamed Phillipston in 1814. The land for this cemetery was donated to the community in 1759 by Charles Baker, one of the first settlers in the area. It is the burial site of other early settlers, including members of the White family, and of at least four documented American Revolutionary War veterans.

Source: (visit link)
Street address:
Searles Hill Road
Phillipston, MA


County / Borough / Parish: Worcester

Year listed: 2011

Historic (Areas of) Significance: Art / Exploration/Settlement / Landscape Architecture / Social History

Periods of significance: 1777-1915

Historic function: FUNERARY

Current function: FUNERARY

Privately owned?: no

Primary Web Site: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 2: [Web Link]

Season start / Season finish: Not listed

Hours of operation: Not listed

National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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