Ellen T. Brown Memorial Chapel, gravestone, and tree restoration projects

The Ellen T. Brown Memorial Chapel was designed by architect Edwin Sherrill Dodge, a Newburyport native and also the architect of the Newburyport High School. The nondenominational chapel was completed in1914 and intended to be used for funerals of anyone to be buried in area cemeteries. The funds were donated by John T. Brown in 1900 in memory of his wife, Ellen. By 1953, the emergence of modern-day funeral homes had made the chapel a less popular venue for funerals, as well as the fact that its heating system was outmoded and deteriorating.

The board of trustees undertook the project of restoring the chapel in August 2007 and the exterior restoration was completed in November of 2007. The trustees were recognized by the Newburyport Preservation Trust for the chapel historic preservation work. The second phase of the restoration is that of the interior is ongoing. When completed, the chapel will be available to the community year-round for funerals as well as weddings, chamber music concerts, art exhibits, and other events.

The gravestone restoration project began in the fall of 2007, supported by a generous grant from the Arakelian Foundation. Fifty-one gravestones have been repaired and reset.

Oak Hill Cemetery is home to many of the largest and oldest trees in Newburyport and is a habitat for numerous bird species making the cemetery a popular destination for birdwatchers. There are over 100 trees that are at least 150 years old. Jeff Ott, an arborist who has worked in the Newburyport area for many years, notes that the mixture of species is one of the most impressive in northern New England. The trustees of the cemetery recently received a grant from the Newburyport Community Preservation Committee to assist with work in preserving and restoring the tree population, which will begin in the fall of 2008.