Our History
The Riverside Cemetery Association was founded in November of 1886 by a foresighted group of men headed by John H. Light. It was their ideal that this cemetery should be non-sectarian in character-a place in which all who desire would find a place for reverent burial and for memorializing loved ones. The original purchase was for 40 acres of farmland, in the Broad River section in the outskirts of Norwalk. This land had been owned by Minot C. Kellogg, who participated in the organization. The first burial was recorded in December of 1886. An additional 19 acres was bought to assure quiet surroundings and boundaries free of buildings. The Cemetery is classified as an ancient burial ground as it has existed as such for well over 100 years. There are over 23,000 interments and thousands of plots available. Today, members of the same founding family continue to direct its affairs.
The Gate Lodge was built at the Cemetery entrance in 1899 and serves as a Chapel/Gathering Room and administrative office. The Riverside Cemetery Association is a corporation and is governed by its Board of Directors and its shareholders. It is dedicated to the past for the benefit of the present and the future for many, many years to come. We are honored to serve the Norwalk community with delicate graveside services, cremation burials, and funerals at the cemetery.
