Description of Historic Place

Forest Hill Cemetery, located on the south side of Forest Hill Road, is situated upon a hillside a short distance from the downtown Fredericton area. The Fredericton Cemetery Company, later the Forest Hill Cemetery Company, purchased the land at Forest Hill in 1876. The first recorded interment took place in 1877, and this non-denominational burial ground remains in service.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Forest Hill Cemetery resides in its non-denominational organization and in its location. During the 1870’s, concern about the possibility of contagious diseases being spread from the Old Burial Ground in the centre of town prompted discussion of a new cemetery. In 1876, prominent citizens from different Protestant sects organized the Fredericton Cemetery Company, later known as the Forest Hill Cemetery Company, to establish a non-denominational burial ground. The first recorded burial took place nearly one year after a suitable site was selected and the property purchased.

The conditions required of a site suitable for burial purposes included close proximity to the centre of town, good drainage, and easily worked soil. The land purchased at Hawthorne Hill, later known as Forest Hill, met all requirements set by the Company. The Forest Hill Cemetery, by its situation upon a hill, overlooks the city and the St. John River.

Source: City of Fredericton, Historic Places File, "325 Forest Hill Road, Forest Hill Cemetery"

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Forest Hill Cemetery include:
- its hillside location;
- its manicured lawn and landscape features;
- main front gate;
- variety of tombstone styles including flat stones, obelisks, crosses, rounded tombstones, and monuments;
- the non-denominational nature of this cemetery.