Welcome to Cypress Cemetery on Saybrook Point in Old Saybrook, one of the oldest, continuously operating cemeteries in North America.  After years of perhaps 5 to 10 burials a year, the Cypress Cemetery Association recently expanded the cemetery, adding over 400 new plots and a cremation columbarium to service the needs of the Old Saybrook community.  The cemetery is divided into four areas:  The “old” burial ground, the Annex, Section 8 and Section 9.  Although some plots can be found in the Annex, the “Old” Burial Ground is for the most part filled.  Most of our burials take place in the Section 8 columbarium niches or in the Section 9 double-depth burial plots. Section 8 and 9, the newly expanded areas, are located on South Cove where beautiful views of the inner lighthouse, South Cove, the Borough of Fenwick, the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound can be seen.  Those eligible for plots must have some connection to the community in Old Saybrook.

 

National Register of Historic Places

The Cypress Cemetery Association is proud that, in 2018, the “Old Burial Ground” portion of the cemetery was officially placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  This important designation is very important for the protection of this historic resource and to open doors to grant opportunities that will assist in that endeavor.  The application and report that is the subject of review can be seen here.  The nomination is based upon the many examples of early colonial tombstone carvers in New England.  Cypress includes examples of some of the finest tombstone carving from artists in Boston and the Connecticut River Valley.  An interesting note:  Figure 1 shows a map from 1874 that shows Cove Street extending from Bridge Street by the Causeway past Fenwick Street and through the southern portion of the old burial ground.  It connected with Mulberry Street to the west of the cemetery, via a right-of-way located at the fence corner by the cemetery office building.

For a map showing the sections of the cemetery, click here.