Lakeview Cemetery is a non-denominational cemetery owned by the city of Burlington.[1] The cemetery's Louisa Howard Chapel is available for rent, and is frequently used for marriage ceremonies, funerals, memorial services, music recitals, and other functions.[1] The city government's management of the cemetery is aided by the Friends of Lakeview Cemetery, a group formed in the early 1990s to plan improvements to the cemetery buildings and grounds and raise money to carry them out.[1]
History
Lakeview Cemetery was established in 1867 when the city of Burlington purchased 23 acres of land from H. B. Sawyer for $3,500 (about $65,000 in 2019).[1] In 1868, the city purchased an additional seven acres from J. A. Arthur for $2,000 (about $38,000 in 2019).[1]
The cemetery was planned in the rural cemetery style that became popular in the mid-1800s.[1] Located at what was then the outskirts of the city and situated near the end of the city's trolley car line, Lakeview included many of the attributes of a park.[1] Its narrow, meandering roads, benches, and specimen trees helped make it an outdoor destination for city dwellers, who visited for picnics and other activities.[1]
In the 1880s, philanthropist Louisa Howard financed the construction of a small church on the cemetery grounds.[1] When the stone Victorian Gothic Revival building was dedicated in 1882, it was named in her honor.[1] The Louisa Howard Chapel fell into disuse during the 1940s, but in the 1990s a group of interested individuals formed Friends of Lakeview Cemetery, which raised funds to refurbish it.[1] By 2004, the group had raised $100,000, and the chapel underwent a restoration that was completed in 2006.[1] Other improvements and restorations undertaken by Friends of Lakeview Cemetery include construction of a new gazebo in 2010 to replace an original that had fallen into disrepair.[1] The new cedar wood gazebo was crafted by hand in the 19th-century Adirondack Architecture style so that it resembled the original.[1]
Lakeview's grounds included three fountains that were donated in the 1870s by John P. Howard (Louisa Howard's brother).[1] In 2014, Friends of Lakeview Cemetery completed restoration of the fountains, using the remnants of the originals and a photo from a vintage postcard for reference.[1]
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