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Russian Cemetery

Coordinates: 42°34′41″N 71°28′17″W / 42.57806°N 71.47139°W / 42.57806; -71.47139
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Russian Cemetery
Russian Cemetery
Russian Cemetery is located in Massachusetts
Russian Cemetery
Russian Cemetery is located in the United States
Russian Cemetery
LocationWestford, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°34′41″N 71°28′17″W / 42.57806°N 71.47139°W / 42.57806; -71.47139
Area1.33 acres (0.54 ha)
NRHP reference No.05001324[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 25, 2005

The Russian Cemetery is a historic cemetery on Patten Road in Westford, Massachusetts. The cemetery was established in 1918 by the Russian Brotherhood, a social organization that served as a focal point for Belorussian immigrants who had been recruited by agents for the Abbot Worsted Company to work in its Westford mills. These primarily Russian Orthodox Christians were not allowed to have burials in some of the town's other cemeteries, prompting the creation of this one, which is distinctive in the town as the only cemetery catering to a specific ethnic group. It has approximately 300 burials, with a significant number of early burials marked with gravestones bearing Cyrillic lettering. The cemetery remains open to members of the local Russian-American community.[2]

The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "NRHP nomination for Russian Cemetery". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
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Media related to Russian Cemetery (Westford, Massachusetts) at Wikimedia Commons