By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
HUNTSVILLE — Huntsville’s oldest and largest cemetery will soon offer families a new place to honor loved ones who choose cremation.
City officials have approved a $19,080 engineering services contract with Schoel Engineering Company to design and oversee construction of a scatter garden at Maple Hill Cemetery. The project will include engineering design, surveying, and construction administration, with work expected to take approximately one year.
The scatter garden will provide a dedicated, peaceful location where families can respectfully scatter the cremated remains of loved ones while having a permanent place for remembrance and reflection.
“The Maple Hill Scatter Garden will be a place where families can respectfully scatter cremated remains of a loved one and have a peaceful setting to mourn, remember and reflect,” said Tara Sloan, Huntsville’s Director of Cemeteries. “We want families to feel comforted here, knowing they have a beautiful, intentional location for scattering cremains and gathering in moments that matter.”
According to city officials, this will be the first scatter garden in a city-owned cemetery.
Established in 1818 on just two acres, Maple Hill Cemetery has grown into an 81-acre landmark and remains Huntsville’s oldest and largest cemetery. It serves as the final resting place for many of the city’s pioneers, civic leaders, veterans, and prominent citizens, making it one of North Alabama’s most historically significant sites.
The new memorial space reflects the growing popularity of cremation while providing families with a dignified public place to remember those they have lost.