Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo city CC#4500

Roger Street East, Waterloo City, formerly Waterloo Township

This municipal cemetery lies next to the Kitchener cemetery of the same name at the point where the cities meet. They were established as well out of town, but over the years the cities have grown around them.   The original cemeteries in the two villages were churchyards or private grounds, but as they grew it became apparent that civic cemeteries were needed. There is a survey of Waterloo which indicates that the Waterloo cemetery was originally to have been on the south [or west] side of King Street, on the site of the present-day hospital. However, we have no indication that this area served as a cemetery.

In 1865 Waterloo and Berlin appointed committees to arrange for a joint cemetery, but in the end, Waterloo acted on its own, purchasing seven acres from Reeve John Hoffman for the purpose. Hoffman also gave another acre for use as a free ceemtery and space for a potter's field was also set aside. The village council regulated the use of the cemetery with bylaw 25 in 1867.

On the Pine Street Gate to the cemetery is the notation; Mt. Hope Cemetery Established - 1865 This Pioneer Gateway Erected - 1932.  The stone used in the gateway is from the ruins of a building erected about 1830 by one of Waterloo Region's early pioneer Andrew Groff, born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1793, died in Waterloo in 1877.

Because of the organizational difficulties, this cemetery was divided for the transcription in a different fashion than the officila cememtery plan.  The letters in brackets on the map refer to the posted areas.

May 1992

Find A Grave: Mount Hope Cemetery

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