Togus National Cemetery (West)

Togus National Cemetery (West) is a VA national cemetery in Togus, 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 Togus National Cemetery (West)

Togus National Cemetery is located in Kennebec County, in the town of Chelsea, ME, on the grounds of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional Office Center.

The name Togus comes from the Native American name Worromontogus, which means "mineral water." The Togus property was originally a summer resort called Togus Springs. It was owned and operated by Horace Beals, a wealthy granite merchant from Rockland, ME, who hoped to establish a racing and resort community like Saratoga Springs, NY. He invested over $250,000 in a hotel, stables, bowling alley, farmhouse, bathhouse, driveways and racetrack. The untimely resort opened in 1859 but failed to generate business due to the Civil War. The resort, known locally as "Beals' Folly," closed in 1863. Beals died shortly after his business failed and the government obtained the property for $50,000. The spot was selected because of its isolation from large cities, well-known spring and bargain price tag.

In 1865, as the Civil War was drawing to a close, President Abraham Lincoln signed an act establishing the National Asylum (later changed to Home) for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. The Eastern Branch at Togus was the first of these facilities to open, in November 1866.

The first veteran was admitted to Togus on November 10, 1866. The home's population remained below 400 until a building program began in 1868, which eventually provided accommodation for nearly 3,000 veterans. The facilities were organized much like a military camp with men living in barracks and wearing modified Army uniforms. Although a 100-bed hospital was completed in 1870, medical care at the home was limited, even by the standards of the day.

Togus was a relatively isolated location until 1890, when a narrow-gauge railroad from the Kennebec River in Randolph and an electric trolley line from Augusta were completed. These transportation improvements led to the home becoming a popular excursion destination for Sunday picnics. The grounds featured a zoo, hotel and theater that brought shows directly from Broadway. Band concerts were also held there regularly. The facility became part of the Veterans Administration (VA) in July 1930 when all agencies administering benefits to veterans were consolidated.

Togus National Cemetery is divided into a West Cemetery and an East Cemetery, with a total of 31 acres. The older West Cemetery was established in 1865 and moved to its present location west of the home around 1867; it closed for interments in 1936. To continue providing burial space, the East Cemetery was established in 1936 and closed for interments in 1961.

Monuments and Memorials

Eastern Branch - National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers' Soldiers & Sailors Monument, 1889 The Soldiers and Sailors Monument was erected in 1889 at what was the north end of the cemetery (now West Cemetery) at Togus VAMC, historically the Eastern Branch - National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (NHDVS). All cemeteries affiliated with the eleven oldest NHDVS branches, designated national cemeteries in 1973, feature a prominent monument, typically an obelisk. Governor Luther Stephenson purportedly lamented that other Homes already had a monument, leading to this one being built at Togus by residents. No record has been found to indicate who among the 2,000 or so residents at time worked on the structure.

The 1890 National Home annual report described the monument as "very handsome in its rough simplicity, and is a source of pride to the men." The design was reputedly drawn by William Spaulding, a home resident and former marble worker from Philadelphia, PA; stonework may have been completed under the supervision of Jeremiah O'Brien, also a home member and formerly a noted stonecutter of Quincy, MA.

The three-tiered obelisk is approximately 26 feet tall and 11 feet square at the base, built of ashlar granite blocks about 1 foot high by 2 feet wide each. Four polished granite plaques are centered on each side of the upper base. The west face is inscribed: "In memory of the soldiers and sailors who fought for the Union." In 1922, National Home officials approved the replacement of the plaque on the east face "with a slab bearing an inscription showing dates of all wars in which those who served are entitled to membership in the National Home": "WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN 1812–1815 / WAR WITH MEXICO 1846–1849 / WAR OF THE REBELLION 1861–1865 / WAR WITH SPAIN 1898–1899 / PHILLIPINE INSURRECTION 1898–1902 / WORLD WAR 1917–1918."

More than 120 years after its dedication, NCA conservators determined that the monument's inner core was so deteriorated that it had to be rebuilt. In June 2010, as masons began to dismantle the monument, they discovered a time capsule, a copper box which contained newspapers, NHDVS annual reports and photographs. With the box was a green glass bottle and the bowl of a smoking-pipe. The rebuilt monument features a new foundation and core. NCA rededicated the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on September 15, 2010, in a ceremony that included the placement of a new time capsule under the capstone.

1916 Soldiers & Sailors Monument The Soldiers & Sailors Monument erected in the Togus West Cemetery in June 1916 honors the "memory of the soldiers and sailors of the Spanish-American War and service other than the Mexican and Civil Wars." Funds to construct it, $250, came from the Eastern Branch - National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers' general post.

Made of reinforced concrete with a white protective coating, the overall monument is 10 feet high and nearly 7 feet square at the base. The form is reminiscent of an altar: the tall base has corner posts that support a roof, which covers two angled marble plaques. The main plaque reads: "In Memory of the / Soldiers and Sailors / who served their country / in the War with Spain 1898 / Philippine Insurrection 1899–1902 / China Relief Expedition 1900 / Indian Campaigns."

Celtic Cross, ca. 1930 The Celtic Cross Monument is located in the Togus East Cemetery. Little is known about this structure, the designer, builder, and donor have not been identified, but it is believed to have been erected about 1930. Carved from a single piece of Hallowell granite, the large cross stands more than 13 feet tall and is tapered from base to top. It is mounted on a stepped granite base inscribed with "LET THEM REST IN PEACE."

Notable interments

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note buried at Togus National Cemetery (West), with section and site where recorded.

Directions

From Portland Municipal Airport, travel on Interstate 95 North to Exit 14 (Gardiner) or Exit 15 (Augusta). The VA Medical Center is six miles equal distance from Gardiner or Augusta. From Gardiner, travel on Maine Route 226. From Augusta travel on Maine Route 17 to the cemetery.

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 is 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 Togus National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Togus National Cemetery

Who can be buried at Togus National Cemetery (West)?

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 Togus National Cemetery (West)?

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 Togus National Cemetery (West) and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Togus National Cemetery (West) as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Togus National Cemetery (West) burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Togus National Cemetery (West) 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 Togus National Cemetery (West) 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 Togus National Cemetery (West), by straight-line distance:

• Togus National Cemetery (East), Togus, ME: 0 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Mount Pleasant Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Augusta, ME: 5 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Central Maine Veterans Cemetery - Civic Center Dr, Augusta, ME: 7 mi, status not listed