Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is a VA national cemetery in Augusta, Maine. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is located within Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Augusta, Maine. In 1853, Vassal D. Pinkham sold the city of Augusta 12 acres located on top of Burnt Hill for use as a public cemetery. After the cemetery was named, subsequently the hill was renamed "Mount Pleasant."

In 1862, Mount Pleasant Cemetery donated four lots totaling 1,500 square feet in the western portion of the property to the federal government. Eight years later, cemetery officials donated six additional lots in the eastern portion of the cemetery, composed of 2,250 square feet. As a result, there are 60 interments in the eastern portion and 29 interments in the western portion of the cemetery.

Monuments and Memorials In 1906, the U.S. government erected a monument in the eastern lot to honor Union soldiers who died in Augusta hospitals during the Civil War. A metal plaque listing the names of 40 Union soldiers is affixed to the upright granite monument.

A monument erected by the Set Williams post of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) is located in the western lot. The date of installation is unknown.

Directions

The cemetery is located on Winthrop Street about 1/2 mile from the center of the city adjacent to Mount Hope Cemetery. From I-95 head east toward Augusta on US-202/ME-17/Western Avenue. Turn left at Airport Road and go uphill. At the top of hill turn right onto Winthrop Street. Mount Pleasant Cemetery will be on the left side of the street and is marked by a green post sign.

Flowers and grounds rules

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing. Water will be available at outside faucets from April 15 to October 10.

Education and visiting programs

More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot.

A National Cemetery System Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Who can be buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot directly at 508-563-7113.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Maine law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Maine and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, by straight-line distance:

• Central Maine Veterans Cemetery - Civic Center Dr, Augusta, ME: 2 mi, status not listed
• Central Maine Veterans Cemetery - Mt. Vernon Rd, Augusta, ME: 3 mi, open for burials
• Togus National Cemetery (West), Togus, ME: 5 mi, closed to new in-ground burials