A Brief History of Evergreen Cemetery

Reaching Through Time

In 1852, lack of space in Portland’s existing burial grounds prompted civic leader Sylvester B. Beckett (1812-1882) to secure 55 wooded acres from Oliver Buckley and William Stevens. In 1855, city engineer Charles H. Howe created a brilliant design for the city’s first rural cemetery. His plan illustrated the shift from old fashioned burial grounds to rural Victorian garden cemeteries.

Walking in Heaven

Victorian cemeteries such as Evergreen were characterized by winding carriage paths, ponds, mortuary chapels, rustic arbors, fountains, and elaborate life size statues depicting angels and weeping ladies. Victorians believed that the pain of death could be eased in a garden-like burial place with a picturesque view at every turn. Many felt that a walk through Evergreen was like “walking in heaven.”

An Historic Landscape of Enduring Beauty

The spirit of Evergreen Cemetery endures. At 239 acres the cemetery is one of Portland’s largest open spaces and urban forests, a sanctuary for wildlife and migratory birds, and an outstanding example of 19th century rural cemetery landscape design. Today, through the efforts of The Friends of Evergreen and the City of Portland, Evergreen is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and protected by the City’s historic preservation ordinance.

Wilde Memorial Chapel

Wilde Memorial Chapel, designed by Portland architect Frederick Tompson, was built in 1902. The family of Samuel Wilde, whose wife, Mary Ellen Lunt Wilde, was a Portland-area native, bestowed the cemetery with this non-denominational, gothic style chapel. The chapel has interior woodwork of cypress and stained glass windows by the firm of Spence, Moakler and Bell of Boston. Some restoration work has been done over the years, providing continued use of the chapel for funerals and weddings.

For more information on use of the chapel.