Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is a VA national cemetery in Brattleboro, Vermont. 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 Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Prospect Hill Cemetery is located in Brattleboro, Vermont, overlooking the Connecticut River Valley. The first interment took place in 1796, when it was known as the "Old Village Burying Ground." Additional parcels of land were amassed piecemeal up to 1869. This cemetery is the final resting place of Brattleboro's wealthiest citizens, including the 19th-century robber baron Col. James Fisk.

The soldiers' lot is located in the southern portion of the Prospect Hill Cemetery. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the Vermont 1st and 2nd brigades were organized at the military campground at Brattleboro. After the brigades mustered out, the campground was transformed into a hospital for soldiers from Vermont and the surrounding states who came north from the front to convalesce. Soldiers who died in the hospital were originally buried in the barracks cemetery. In 1869, the federal government purchased a 50-foot by-30 foot lot in Prospect Hill Cemetery for $100, and subsequently reburied the interments from the barracks cemetery there.

Directions

The cemetery is located near a high bluff overlooking the Connecticut River. From Route 91 take exit 3 into Brattleboro. Once in the city follow Main Street south through town and up a steep hill. The cemetery is on the left side of the street. The soldiers' lot is at the last entrance on the left.

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 Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, VT.

A National Cemetery System Prospect Hill Soldiers' Lot - Brattleboro at War

Who can be buried at Prospect Hill 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 Prospect Hill 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 Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Prospect Hill 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 Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Prospect Hill 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 Prospect Hill 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 Vermont law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Vermont 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 Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, by straight-line distance:

• Massachusetts State Veterans Cemetery - Winchendon, Winchendon, MA: 30 mi, open for burials
• Fort Devens Post Cemetery, Devens, MA: 52 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Ayer, MA: 54 mi, closed to new in-ground burials