Forest Hills Cemetery was founded in 1848
Founded in 1848, Henry A. S. Dearborn, then mayor of Roxbury, envisioned a magnificent park-like setting where citizens could bury and remember family and friends in a place of lasting beauty and tranquility. From the beginning, the cemetery was designed not only as a place of rest, but as a destination — a refuge where urban dwellers could connect with nature, refresh the spirit, and find solace in the landscape.
In doing so, Dearborn created what is considered Boston’s first public park, preceding the Emerald Necklace by 30 years. His pioneering approach to picturesque, romantic landscape design would go on to influence Frederick Law Olmsted and the broader evolution of American landscape architecture.
Art and landscape have always been inseparable at Forest Hills. Throughout the 19th century, families commissioned memorials from leading sculptors and artisans, creating an extraordinary outdoor collection that drew visitors eager to experience the latest in American art and architecture. Those works remain as compelling today as they were then.
Forest Hills Cemetery continues to serve as an active burial ground, devoted to providing a permanent, respectful, and peaceful environment for memorialization — a place for reflection, meditation, prayer, ceremony, and quiet contemplation, guided by an enduring belief in the power of beauty, tranquility, and care.
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