Town Cemeteries and Gravestones of Hadley Massachusetts

Across New England, our town cemeteries preserve microcosms of town histories. The pages herein survey changing styles of gravestone art from the seventeenth century to the present as well as trends in the management and use of town cemeteries; inventory the known carvers working early on in this western Massachusetts community; and record the unique observations and perspectives of the well-known gravestone conservator and cemetery commissioner Fred Oakley. Taken together this survey of Hadley's town cemeteries and gravestones offers insight into the history not only of Hadley, Massachusetts, but also the Commonwealth, the region and the nation.