Mount Hope Cemetery | Bangor

Mount Hope Cemetery, located on State Street in Bangor, Maine, is one of the oldest and most historically significant garden cemeteries in the United States. Established in 1834, it was modeled after Boston’s famed Mount Auburn Cemetery, making it the second-oldest garden cemetery in the nation. Spread across 264 acres of rolling hills, ponds, and winding paths, Mount Hope is not only a burial ground but also a tranquil park, an outdoor museum of art and history, and a place where the city’s story unfolds quietly among trees and monuments.

Historical Background

Mount Hope was designed during the early 19th century, a period when American attitudes toward burial shifted from crowded churchyards to landscaped “rural cemeteries.” These new spaces were intended to celebrate both life and nature, offering peaceful settings for reflection and remembrance. The project was spearheaded by Bangor civic leaders during the city’s lumber boom, when prosperity brought an interest in civic beauty and commemoration.

When the cemetery officially opened in 1834, its design-curving lanes, ornamental plantings, and scenic overlooks-reflected the ideals of the Romantic era: harmony between nature, memory, and art. Over the decades, Mount Hope became the resting place for many of Bangor’s most influential citizens, including lumber barons, shipbuilders, governors, senators, and soldiers.

Landscape and Design

Mount Hope’s landscape feels more like a serene park than a traditional cemetery.

Winding Roads and Walking Paths: The gently curving roads lead visitors past ponds, wooded hills, and meadows dotted with monuments and old oaks.

Water Features: Small ponds and the nearby Penobscot River enhance the sense of calm, their reflections mirroring the clouds and trees.

Sculptural Monuments: Victorian obelisks, marble angels, ornate mausoleums, and intricate carvings make the cemetery a remarkable open-air sculpture garden.

Natural Beauty: The grounds are especially striking in autumn, when fiery maples and golden birches frame the old gravestones in color.

Many of the monuments were crafted by local artisans, displaying detailed stonework that illustrates the city’s 19th-century craftsmanship.

Notable Burials and Historical Figures

Mount Hope serves as the final resting place for numerous figures of local, national, and cultural significance:

Hannibal Hamlin (1809–1891): Abraham Lincoln’s first Vice President, a Bangor native whose tall granite monument is one of the cemetery’s most visited sites.

Samuel Veazie and Other Lumber Barons: Prominent industrialists who helped build Bangor’s wealth during its 19th-century lumber era.

Civil War Soldiers: Entire sections are dedicated to Union soldiers, marked by simple white stones and a somber stillness.

Architect Charles G. Bryant: Known for shaping early Bangor architecture before the city’s Great Fire of 1911.

Stephen King’s Connection: Portions of the cemetery were used in filming “Pet Sematary” (1989), inspired by King’s novel. Fans of the author often visit Mount Hope as part of Bangor’s literary tours.

Cultural and Educational Role

Mount Hope Cemetery functions as a living archive of Bangor’s social and architectural history. The Mount Hope Cemetery Corporation and local historical organizations offer guided walking tours that explore the lives and legacies of the people buried there. These tours also highlight funerary art, changing memorial customs, and the cemetery’s evolving role in urban life.

For educators, historians, and photographers, Mount Hope provides a setting rich in symbolism and heritage. School groups often visit for lessons in local history and art, while artists and writers find quiet inspiration among the monuments.

Atmosphere and Visitor Experience

The atmosphere is peaceful, contemplative, and deeply atmospheric. The sound of wind through the pines and the call of birds over the water create a feeling of timelessness. Visitors walking along the curved roads encounter both grandeur and intimacy-towering monuments beside modest stones, sunlit lawns beside shaded groves.

In spring, the cemetery blooms with lilacs and daffodils; in fall, its hills blaze with color. Many locals treat it as a public park, jogging or strolling respectfully among the memorials, often pausing to admire the craftsmanship or the view over the Penobscot Valley.

Cultural Significance

Mount Hope is not only a burial ground but also a record of Bangor’s cultural identity. It reflects the city’s rise during the 1800s, its resilience after fires and economic shifts, and its enduring appreciation for history, art, and the natural world. The cemetery’s design influenced later memorial parks throughout New England, setting a model for blending civic beauty with commemoration.

Closing Impression

Mount Hope Cemetery stands as a serene testament to Bangor’s past-a place where history and nature meet in quiet harmony. Every path and monument tells part of the city’s story, from the lumber barons who built it to the citizens who shaped its spirit. Visiting Mount Hope is both reflective and uplifting: a reminder that even in stillness, the echoes of a community’s life continue to endure beneath the shade of old trees.