Eugene Masonic Cemetery

Masonic Cemetery and Hope Abbey Mausoleum
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	25th and University Sts., Eugene, Oregon
Coordinates	44°1′53″N 123°4′24″W / 44.03139°N 123.07333°W / 44.03139; -123.07333Coordinates: 44°1′53″N 123°4′24″W / 44.03139°N 123.07333°W / 44.03139; -123.07333
Area	10.1 acres (4.1 ha)
Built	1859
Architect	Lawrence, Ellis F.; Portland Mausoleum Co.
Architectural style	ancient Egyptian
NRHP reference #	80003336
Added to NRHP	September 15, 1980

The Eugene Masonic Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Eugene, Oregon, is one of the oldest privately owned and continuously operating historic entities in Lane County. Incorporated as a burial site in 1859, the same year Oregon became a state, it occupies ten acres on a knoll in southeast Eugene, with main entrance gate at University Street and 25th Avenue. The cemetery contains Hope Abbey Mausoleum which, together with the cemetery itself, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The cemetery was originally owned by Masonic Lodge No.11, but has been owned and operated since 1994 by the non-profit Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association, whose board members are volunteers. It retains Masonic in its name as an important historic reference, but is no longer officially affiliated with Freemasonry.

The Masonic Cemetery and Hope Abbey Mausoleum in Eugene, Oregon dates from 1859. It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The cemetery was established on a treeless hill in the country outside Eugene. For many years it was one of the principal resting places chosen for Eugene's prominent citizens, a number of whom are listed below. Through many generations and in varying conditions it was managed by the local Masonic lodge, but eventually the load became too much, and the site, overrun by weeds and blackberries and subject to vandalism, became a matter of public concern. The City of Eugene, with co-operation from the Masonic Lodge, began a process that resulted in transfer of ownership to a new Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association (EMCA).

The Association's immediate goal was to reverse generations of neglect, and its primary aim remains the restoration and interpretation of this historic resource. Since 1994, EMCA has largely restored the native and heritage landscape of the cemetery. Over $200,000 has been invested in restoration of Hope Abbey Mausoleum and repair of hundreds of damaged historic tombstones. The goal of historic interpretation resulted in production of a book, Full of Life, numerous brochures and over 50 interpretive signs on site. These and many other improvements have transformed the cemetery from an urban disaster to an urban amenity.