Town of Palmer Cemetery Division
The Town of Palmer Cemetery Division works alongside the Parks Maintenance Division of the Department of Public Works and is responsible for the gravesite preparations, burial services, landscaping, construction, preservation, maintenance, and customer service for the Town’s four public cemeteries.
Cemetery staff are committed to providing excellent burial services and maintenance, and to provide sensitive customer service for families who are going through the process of planning a funeral or making future preparations.
Headstone maintenance and repair is an on-going effort. With many stones over 250 years old, many headstones become brittle and weak and require great considerations and must be handled with care to achieve the best results while repairing sunken, fallen, or broken headstones.
Cemetery lots are available for purchase at Oak Knoll Cemetery in Palmer and Four Corners Cemetery in Three Rivers for residents and nonresidents of Palmer. Single graves and family plots are available to purchase in most sections within each cemetery. Transactions can be handled via email, phone, or in-person at the cemetery office via appointment.
Cemeteries are open to the public daily for visitors during the daylight hours 7 days a week.
Cemetery office is open M-F from 7am-3:30pm to provide information and customer service.
Cemetery Foreman, Jeff Pardo
Jpardo@townofpalmer.com
(413)283-2664 7a-3:30p
Public Works Director, Matthew Morse
Mmorse@townofpalmer.com
(413) 283-2615 7a-3:30p
Our Cemeteries
Four Corners - One of the newer Town cemeteries, Four Corners Cemetery is located on Main Street in the Thorndike section of Palmer. The cemetery was first laid out in 1851 after the purchase of 3 acres of land for $300. An additional parcel of land was purchased in 1932 and today the cemetery consists of approximately seven acres of open sunny meadowland.
Oak Knoll – The oldest and largest of the towns for cemeteries, Oak Knoll is located on Thorndike St near the junction of route 20. Oak Knoll Cemetery stands stately and elegant on approximately twenty wooded acres on a lovely, terraced hillside. Originally called the “South Burying Yard”, this cemetery was first mentioned in 1788 and the name was changed to Oak Knoll in 1911. The oldest legible dates on headstones date back to 1732 with records indicated even earlier burials in 1729. A large number of costly and elegant monuments add much to the character of Oak Knoll cemetery as the backdrop to downtown Palmer.
Palmer Center - Palmer Center Cemetery is located in the geographical center of Palmer, once known as the “Old Center”. The meetinghouse was located in the “old center” and in 1734 it was voted that a burying ground should be set nearby. The “burying place” was laid out in the spring of 1735. Palmer Center Cemetery contains approximately 10 acres and is located on a peaceful hillside just off Route 32 and Old Warren Rd. Palmer Center Cemetery is considered inactive and is not available for further burials or purchases.
Three Rivers/Thorndike Cemetery – On a property acquired in 1837, Three Rivers/Thorndike Cemetery is located on a sunny knoll on Main Street in the village of Three Rivers consisting of approximately one acre of land. Records indicate that this cemetery was first opened in 1851 and was used almost exclusively by Baptists and Methodists. Sadly, this cemetery’s early history is not well documented in Town records. Three Rivers/Thorndike Cemetery is considered inactive and is not available for further burials or purchases.