Prospect Hill Cemetery is a historic cemetery on Auburn Road in Millis, Massachusetts. Founded in 1714, it is the town's only cemetery and covers more than 18 acres. The site contains more than 2,800 burials, including those of politician Christian Herter, who served as U.S. Secretary of State and Governor of Massachusetts, and two Medal of Honor recipients, Charles Church Roberts and William D. Newland.
The cemetery is divided into old and new sections. The oldest portion, with burials dating to 1714, sits at the top of Prospect Hill where the site of the first meeting house in Millis is located, marked by original granite stone steps and a commemorative boulder. The older section features winding lanes, mature tree plantings, and a horseshoe-shaped bowl with a vista over the terrain. This section also holds the grave of Charles Wesley Emerson, founder of Boston's Emerson College.
The newer portion was added in 1932 when the older portion was filling up. Given to the town by the Richardson farmers, this 10-acre area is less forested, and its markers are more uniform in size and shape, with granite predominant. The northeastern section of this area is reserved for military veterans.
In 2006, Prospect Hill Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This recognition resulted from the years-long work of Robert Russo and a short documentary film made by Millis High School freshman Dustin Fresh, which helped lead to the signing and documenting of the site as a national historic site.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
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