Introduction
by Gene R. Fosheim
Early Everett had several small private and temporary cemeteries. In 1892, undertaker John Rogers used a site at Broadway and 3rd Avenue in Lowell as a holding site for bodies until nearby Evergreen Cemetery opened. By 1893 Everett’s population had increased from 1,000 to 6,000 in just a few years with half the population from Britain and Scandinavia. In May of 1894, the City of Everett owned Greenwood cemetery on the SE corner of Evergreen Way and 52nd was platted.
The Everett Land Company was formed in 1890 with Henry Hewitt as its president. The Rucker brothers, Charles Colby, and Colgate Hoyt were founding partners with John D. Rockefeller ‘s backing. After a delay of several years the Evergreen Cemetery was the Everett Land Company’s proposal for the grand garden cemetery the rapidly growing city of Everett badly needed. Finally in 1898, Evergreen Cemetery was opened, and many bodies from other sites including Greenwood Cemetery were moved to Evergreen.
In 1899 some firm cemetery rules were introduced:
- No burials stacked on top of one another.
- No fences around graves.
- No removal of bodies by anyone other than the Sexton.
- No carriages or bicycles allowed in the cemetery.
- No one is allowed to dig a grave other than the Sexton. $5.00 digging charge.
- No dogs allowed and no children running at will.
Just five years after Evergreen Cemetery opened, the 1903 gazebo-like building, the lych gate, at the entry was built. It imitates the traditional English churchyard structure where pallbearers rest the coffin and await the arrival of the minister. Elaborate plans were being made for an impressive sandstone entry arch next to the lych gate. Near the arch would be a sandstone lodge. Bronze statues were to be placed in the round central fountain basin and a major extension of the cemetery was already in progress. Sadly, many of the grand plans were not completed, but a small comfort station with a restroom was built west of the north lych gate entry. The historic lych gate was badly damaged in 2003 by a falling tree and carefully restored.
The mausoleum at the south end was added in 1963 with the current office built a year later.
The cemetery was used in the beginning of the 1995 film Assassins, starring Antonio Banderas and Sylvester Stallone.
Evergreen Cemetery has five Washington State champion trees. Some such as the huge Copper Beach stand out, others such as the Buddhist Pine, European White Elm, and Lawson Cypress blend in with the beautiful landscape. A champion tree is the largest tree in the state of its species. These trees are measured using the American Forests points which is calculated based on the trunk circumference, the height and the average crown spread to give a point value.
Research by: David Dilgard, Margaret Riddle, Lisa Labovitch, Gene Fosheim, Patrick Hall, Jack O'Donnell, Larry O'Donnell, Steve Fox and many others
Interactive Evergreen cemetery map
Year of each Evergeen Cemetery plat
- 1898: Initial platBlocks 1-6 platted.
- 1900: First addition, blocks 7-12.
- 1904: Second addition, blocks 13-16.
- 1908: Third addition, including Rucker Mausoleum (block 19) and blocks 17-21.
- 1908: Fourth addition, blocks 22-27.
- 1913: Portion of block 26 replatted
- 1914: Fifth addition, blocks 28-31.
- 1922: Sixth addition, blocks 32-39.
- 1925: Seventh addition, blocks 40-56.
- 1939: Eighth addition, blocks 57-69.
- 1965: Ninth addition, blocks 70-72 (replacing 45-47).
- 1965: Tenth addition, block 73 (replacing 63, 64).
- 2006: replat of fountain area inside of blocks 7-12.