Cemetery

Cemetery Rules & Regulations

The Select Board, acting as Cemetery Commissioners, hereby adopt the following Cemetery Rules and Regulations and a schedule of Service Charges for the Town of Canton Cemetery, consistent with Town By-laws and the laws of the Commonwealth.

I. Superintendent of Public Works

The Superintendent of Public Works shall have full responsibility for the cemetery grounds, buildings and equipment including operation and maintenance. He shall have full authority through his subordinates to arrange burials, removals and any other necessary arrangements in connection with the operation of the cemetery. The Superintendent is authorized to cause the arrest and prosecution of all persons violating these rules and regulations or committing any nuisance of any sort on the cemetery grounds.

II. Lots

Citizens of Canton who are property owners or who have established legal residence in the Town of Canton by virtue of having resided in the Town for a period of not less than six months shall be entitled to purchase lots in the Town Cemetery.

There will be a maximum of eight grave lots sold to any one party.

Fifty (50%)% of the funds received per grave lot shall be placed in the Perpetual Care Fund. The Town Treasurer shall hold this fund in trust. Perpetual Care for grave lots shall mean the cutting of grass at reasonable intervals, raking and cleaning of grave lots, and pruning of shrubs and trees planted by the Cemetery.

III. Maintenance

No lot shall be seeded, graded, fertilized or mowed by anyone other than an employee of the Town unless the Superintendent grants permission in writing.

No lot shall be enclosed by a wall, fence, coping, hedge, or otherwise. The limits of each lot shall be marked with suitable numbered posts, flush with the ground installed by the Town.

No objects or plantings shall be placed more than 12 inches in front of the monument.

No glass vases, vigil lights, metal, stone, or wire containers shall be placed anywhere in the cemetery.

The cemetery shall not be responsible for any floral arrangements, plants, receptacles perpetual candles of any type mounted onto monuments or installed in the ground that have become lost, misplaced, stolen, or broken.

IV. Burial Vault

All earth interments shall be made in an enclosed; reinforced concrete burial vault with one raised cover or a 12-gauge or better metal burial vault.

V. Interment

No interment shall be made until the Superintendent has been furnished with all necessary permits required by the laws of the Commonwealth and of the city or town from which the deceased will be brought. Nor shall any body be interred in a lot for which the exclusive burial rights have been conveyed to the owner until the Superintendent has been furnished from the owner or their legal representative.

No interment shall be made until all fees have been paid.

No more than one body shall be interred in the same grave.

No grave shall be opened for the interment or removal of a body by any person not in the employ of the Town.

VII. Transfer

Lots may not be transferred from one owner to another without the written permission of the Town.

No transfer of the exclusive burial rights for any lot from one owner to another owner shall be valid unless recorded in writing and proper notation made on the Lot Record Card maintained by the Town.

VIII. Monuments

The word "monument" shall include any memorial, stone or other material, head stone, or other structure intended to commemorate the dead.

Monuments shall be limited to one per lot. Markers for the individual graves shall be flush with the grass.

No monument foundation shall be constructed except by order of and under the supervision of the Superintendent.

No existing monuments or markers shall be removed from any lot by anyone except an employee of the Town.

The right is reserved to reset markers or boundary markers on existing lots which interfere with the mowing of the lots.

VIX. General Regulations

All vehicles shall remain on the roadways within the cemetery. No vehicle shall be driven faster than ten miles per hour. Vehicles shall only turn around at such point where the cemetery roadways intersect. Persons driving in the cemetery shall be held responsible for all damages done by any vehicle in their charge.

No refreshments or any other articles of any sort shall be sold on the grounds of the cemetery.

Writing on or otherwise defacing any monument, fence, building, sign or any other structure within the cemetery grounds is prohibited.

All persons are prohibited from gathering flowers, either wild or cultivated or from breaking or otherwise injuring any tree, shrub, or plant, or annoying any wildlife within the cemetery grounds.

No motor driven recreational vehicles, skateboards, or roller blades are permitted within the grounds of the town's cemetery.

No dogs are permitted within the grounds of the cemetery.

All persons are reminded that the grounds are sacredly devoted to the interment of the dead and a strict observance of all that is proper in such a place will be required at all times.