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Updated: Sep 9, 2021
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About
Location
Greenwood Historic Cemetery is located on Oak Street, west of Old Woodward.
Cemetery Hours
7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Cemetery Map
Map of Greenwood Cemetery
Contact
To purchase a grave space, grave marker or foundation or to transfer a deed, contact: Contact Cheri Arcome at arcome02@gmail.com or 248.928.4094.
For other inquiries: Contact the City Clerk's Office at clerk@bhamgov.org or 248.530.1880.
Our History
The Greenwood Cemetery is one of Birmingham's historic treasures. Founded in 1825 after a grisly murder in the settlement of what is now called Birmingham, the cemetery has been the resting place of many of Birmingham's citizens ever since. The oldest section of Greenwood Historic Cemetery comprises land purchased from the federal government by Dr. Ziba Swan of Albany, New York, in 1821. The first interments on this one-half-acre parcel, set aside by Swan for a cemetery, occurred in 1825, when Polly Utter and her daughter Cynthia were murdered.
Twenty–one years later, twenty–one local citizens, including Dr. Ebenezer Raynale, a member of Michigan’s first senate, purchased the cemetery property and an additional one and one–half acres from Swan. Martha Baldwin organized local women into a group that, in 1885, incorporated as the Greenwood Cemetery Association. Between 1846 and 1904, the cemetery was enlarged three times, increasing in size to eight acres.
In 1946, the City of Birmingham took over operation of the cemetery. The pleasant setting with shady trees is full of local history; the oldest 1/2 acre section was donated by early settler Dr. Ziba Swan. The Birmingham Museum has created Self-Guided Historical Tours of Greenwood Cemetery which can be found on their webpage. The main entrance gate is the east gate. Note: Please do not park in the cemetery. Follow the link to learn more about the origins of Greenwood Cemetery.
Greenwood Historic Cemetery contains the remains of some of Oakland County’s earliest pioneers and most prominent citizens. Birmingham’s only Revolutionary War veteran, John Daniels, was buried here in 1832. Dr. Swan was interred in 1847.
Additional interments include Michigan State Senator Ebenezer Raynale (1881); Martha Baldwin, for whom the Birmingham library is named (1913); Birmingham Eccentric publishers George Mitchell (1929) and Almeron Whitehead (1926); U.S. Congressman Roland Trowbridge (1881); George Gough Booth (1949) and Ellen Scripps Booth (1948), who established the Cranbrook Educational Community; and Pewabic Pottery founder Mary Chase Stratton (1961) and her husband William Buck Stratton (1938).
Rules and Regulations
All visitors, plot owners and the like are required to operate in compliance with the Greenwood Cemetery Rules and Regulations.
Fees for Grave Space and Services
Regarding fees for grave space and services please visit our Codes & Ordinances page for the fee schedule.
Transfer Deed
To transfer a deed to a grave, please supply a letter indicating the seller's information, the purchaser's information, and the grave location. The letter must be signed by the seller. A new deed will be issued to the purchaser. The administrative fee to transfer a deed to a grave is outlined in the Fee Schedule.
Burial Information
One full burial or three cremations are allowed per grave. The information must be submitted to the clerk's office in time to allow not less than ten (10) hours of daylight prior to burial to prepare the grave.
Foundation/Marker Information
Foundations will be poured April to November, weather dependent, as determined by the Superintendent. Requests received after November 1st will be held until conditions allow for installation. The fee to pour a foundation is $125.00 per linear foot.
*Please note: Only flush markers are allowed in section F-North and the newly designated graves in sections B, C, D, K, L, O.
City Code: Chapter 34
Map of Greenwood Cemetery
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