Lakeview Cemetery (Burlington, Vermont) Explained

Lakeview Cemetery
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Location:North Avenue, Burlington, Vermont
Coordinates:44.4925°N -73.2322°W
Type:Non-denominational cemetery
Findagraveid:104091

Lakeview Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located off of North Avenue in Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont. The cemetery was created in 1867 and dedicated in 1871, and overlooks Lake Champlain. It is near the current campus of Burlington High School.

Details

Lakeview Cemetery is a non-denominational cemetery owned by the city of Burlington. The cemetery's Louisa Howard Chapel is available for rent, and is frequently used for marriage ceremonies, funerals, memorial services, music recitals, and other functions. The city government's management of the cemetery is aided by the Friends of Lakeview Cemetery, a group formed in the early 1990s to plan improvements to the cemetery buildings and grounds and raise money to carry them out.

History

Lakeview Cemetery was established in 1867 when the city of Burlington purchased 23 acres of land from H. B. Sawyer for $3,500 (about $65,000 in 2019). In 1868, the city purchased an additional seven acres from J. A. Arthur for $2,000 (about $38,000 in 2019).

The cemetery was planned in the rural cemetery style that became popular in the mid-1800s. Located at what was then the outskirts of the city and situated near the end of the city's trolley car line, Lakeview included many of the attributes of a park. Its narrow, meandering roads, benches, and specimen trees helped make it an outdoor destination for city dwellers, who visited for picnics and other activities.

In the 1880s, philanthropist Louisa Howard financed the construction of a small church on the cemetery grounds. When the stone Victorian Gothic Revival building was dedicated in 1882, it was named in her honor. The Louisa Howard Chapel fell into disuse during the 1940s, but in the 1990s a group of interested individuals formed Friends of Lakeview Cemetery, which raised funds to refurbish it. By 2004, the group had raised $100,000, and the chapel underwent a restoration that was completed in 2006. Other improvements and restorations undertaken by Friends of Lakeview Cemetery include construction of a new gazebo in 2010 to replace an original that had fallen into disrepair. The new cedar wood gazebo was crafted by hand in the 19th-century Adirondack Architecture style so that it resembled the original.

Lakeview's grounds included three fountains that were donated in the 1870s by John P. Howard (Louisa Howard's brother). In 2014, Friends of Lakeview Cemetery completed restoration of the fountains, using the remnants of the originals and a photo from a vintage postcard for reference.

Interments

Burials at Lakeview Cemetery include veterans of every major conflict since the American Civil War, including several members of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, a Union Army regiment of African American soldiers and white officers. Several soldiers who served at nearby Fort Ethan Allen in the late 1800s and early 1900s are buried at Lakeview, including members of the famed 10th Cavalry Regiment (Buffalo Soldiers).

Notable burials

Many notable political and military leaders and other prominent individuals are interred at Lakeview Cemetery, to include:

Sources

Newspapers

Internet

External links

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