The Legacy of Glendale and East Wilbraham Cemeteries

East Wilbraham Cemetery

East Wilbraham Cemetery. Martha Lyon

Located on high ground between Boston Road and the Massachusetts Turnpike, a short distance east of Three Rivers Road, the East Wilbraham Cemetery has a long yet partly obscure history. Early town records provide few details, but a vote taken at a Wilbraham town meeting on August 10, 1829, refers to “the burying ground on the First Baptist Society in Wilbraham,” confirming its connection to the town’s early Baptist community.

The cemetery’s earliest legible headstone dates to 1779, the same year the First Baptist Society erected its meetinghouse. That year also marked the earliest known burial, that of young Elisha Burr, age three, son of Deacon Timothy and Naomi (Walden) Burr. This indicates that the cemetery was already in use by the late 1770s and was likely the third burial ground established in Wilbraham, following the Old Yard in Hampden, which remained part of Wilbraham until 1878.

Originally known as the Old Sodom Cemetery, this site served the members of the First Baptist Society of Wilbraham. Like many Baptist congregations across New England, the group chose a remote part of town to build both their meetinghouse and their burial ground.

In the 1870s, the Town of Wilbraham assumed responsibility for maintaining the cemeteries, including this one. Over the years, small land acquisitions gradually expanded the property to 3.38 acres. Then, in 1997, Town Meeting voted to add nearly seven acres of adjacent land, a gift from the Blake family, bringing the total cemetery area to 10.4 acres.

Improvements continued into modern times. In 1998, a new access road was installed, with land along the entrance reserved for cremation burials marked with flat stones. In 2009, the cemetery received a distinctive white picket fence along both the entrance and the hilltop, an elegant addition that honors its historic character.

Today, East Wilbraham Cemetery, located at 3244R Boston Road near Three Rivers Road and Silver Street, stands as one of the town’s oldest and most historically significant burial grounds, its roots reaching back to the earliest days of the community.

Glendale Cemetery

A view of the intersection of Monson and Glendale Roads around 1914, with Glendale Methodist Church standing in the background to the right and the gravestones of Glendale Cemetery visible on the left. Wilbraham Library.

Nestled amid what Chauncey Peck once described as “its grassy glen and dale,” Glendale Cemetery carries with it both beauty and quiet mystery. Located at the northwest corner of Monson and Glendale Roads, this small burial ground reflects more than two centuries of Wilbraham’s early religious and community history.

The earliest recorded burial took place in 1787, that of Caleb Stebbins, Jr. However, even before his interment, the southeast corner—the oldest section of the cemetery—held several unmarked graves marked only by rough pieces of red sandstone. Time and weather have erased their inscriptions, leaving behind speculation that these may be the final resting places of early hunters or trappers from the region’s frontier days.

Glendale began as a Baptist burial ground serving members of the First Baptist Church at Colton Hollow in Monson. Its early origins are somewhat obscure, much like other small Baptist cemeteries scattered throughout New England, established by congregations who often chose quiet, remote settings for their places of worship and burial.

Over the years, the cemetery’s management passed through several hands. In 1805, the parish governing body voted to “fence the burying ground over the mountain.” Later, in 1857, the Burying Ground Society of School District No. 7 was formed to oversee its care and affairs. By 1876, responsibility had formally shifted to the Town of Wilbraham, which has maintained it ever since.

Glendale has gradually expanded through the years, with enlargements made in 1876, 1963, and again in 2000. Today, the cemetery encompasses approximately three acres. In 2004, the Town Meeting approved a restoration project to rebuild the 1830s stone wall along Monson Road. The work included a new lawn and plantings of flowers to beautify the entrance. A well was dug in 2006 to provide water for maintaining graveside flowers, and the finishing touch came in 2007 with the installation of a granite cap atop the restored wall.

Glendale Cemetery. Joe Roberts

Peaceful and picturesque, Glendale Cemetery, located at the intersection of Glendale and Monson Roads, remains a treasured link to Wilbraham’s early Baptist heritage and to the generations who shaped the Glendale neighborhood’s quiet and enduring character.

Though different in setting, both Glendale and East Wilbraham Cemeteries share a common bond, each born from the faith and perseverance of Wilbraham’s early Baptist settlers. Over the centuries, these peaceful grounds have become more than resting places; they are enduring testaments to the town’s beginnings and to the families who built its foundation. The quiet hills, weathered stones, and ongoing care given to these sacred places reflect a deep respect for history. In their stillness, the voices of Wilbraham’s past continue to be heard, timeless, enduring, and forever woven into the town’s heritage.