The Town of Hinesburg maintains nine cemeteries with approximately 4,000 graves dating back to 1795. The Village Cemetery land was donated to the town by Jedidiah Boynton in 1825. Graves were moved to the Village Cemetery from a previous cemetery that was in front of where the Sarah Carpenter Memorial Library was on Route 116.
Burial spaces in the Village Cemetery used to sell by the plot, which contained six sites, or a half plot, which had three. The Village Cemetery has about 12 sites that are unsold.
Hence, it’s no surprise that Hinesburg’s old, full cemeteries generate a long list of maintenance and repair projects. Roads need to be maintained and ditched to manage stormwater, trees need to be trimmed or felled, and many stones need repair or resetting. The stairs near the Village Cemetery vault have also fallen into disrepair.
In the summer of 2023, the Hinesburg Cemetery Commission hosted a very successful volunteer workday. Another one is scheduled for Aug. 17 at the Village Cemetery. If participation continues, and organizational capacity exists, the volunteer days may double in the future and extend to other cemeteries.
But volunteer labor has its limits, and many of the cemeteries’ needs require skilled labor and a financial layout. Recognizing this need, siblings Tyler Dawson and Beth (Dawson) Dubin generously created The Hinesburg Village Cemetery Endowment Fund in memory of their parents, Dale and Betty (Lyman) Dawson.
At the December selectboard meeting where the fund was officially accepted by the town, Tyler Dawson observed, “I was driving up the Village Cemetery road one day, and thought, ‘Yup, this needs help.’ So we consulted with the Cemetery Commission to create a fund that best meets their needs, while hoping the fund will grow.”
The Cemetery Endowment Fund provides a variety of incentives for the town to contribute to cemetery projects on a matching basis. In the first five years, there is also a double match component that will hopefully inspire individuals to donate, and help the fund last longer. This year, in the first year of the fund, if the town and/or other individuals were to contribute up to $25,000, the fund would contribute $50,000 for an available total of $75,000. The intent is to provide an incentive for others to participate and help make the fund last for years.
Taking note of existing funds in other communities, the donors were careful to create a fund that can be used for improvements, not just repairs and maintenance. “There is very specific language in state statute that regulates these types of funds. It has been done elsewhere and we’re happy to introduce it to Hinesburg,” Tyler explained.
While acknowledging the acceptance of the Endowment Fund, Cemetery Commissioner Mary Jo Brace shared, “We’d like to get the Village Cemetery in much better shape, and keep it that way for many years.”
Sharing his appreciation for the generous gift to the town, selectboard member Paul Lamberson observed, “One way to honor this generous donation is to grow it with new donations, now and in the years to come.”
Donations should be made payable to the Hinesburg Cemetery Fund and can either be dropped off at the Town Clerk’s office, or mailed to Hinesburg Town Clerk, 10632 Route 116, Hinesburg, VT 05461. (Please consult your tax advisor to determine deductibility.)