Original Cemetery
Salem’s cemetery, located at 12537 Brandenburg Hollow Road in Wolfsville, Frederick County, Maryland, dates back to the early 1800s. It was originally known as the Salem United Brethren Cemetery — now known as the Salem Church Cemetery. The 1.27 acres are situated high on a ridge overlooking the village of Wolfsville. All of the burial lots in the original cemetery have been sold.
New Cemetery Section 2
Salem purchased an additional 3.76 acres of land in July 2006, near the original cemetery, of which 1.76 acres was opened on September 1, 2009. This new part is known as Salem Church Cemetery Section No. 2. (The additional 2 acre parcel is not being developed at this time.)
The Salem Church Council has authorized the Salem Church Board of Trustees to be responsible for overseeing the sale of burial lots and maintenance of the Section 2 cemetery.
CEMETERY LOTS
1. Full lot measures 9 feet x l2 feet consisting of two burial spaces.
2. Half lot measures 4.5 feet x l2 feet, consisting of a single burial space.
3. Two cremated remains may be buried in one burial space with a single headstone.
PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASING A CEMETERY LOT
1. The sale of cemetery lots is limited to members of Salem Church and their spouse (even if the spouse is not a member) and their minor children (under 18 years of age).
2. A Certificate of Ownership will be issued to parents of minor children, reading (child’s name) the minor child of (parent’s name).
3. No individual may have more than one burial space deeded in their name.
4. Any request for an exception for the sale of a burial lot to a non-member will be presented to the Board of Trustees for consideration on a case-by-case basis. The majority decision of the Board of Trustees will be final.
5. Person(s) interested in purchasing burial spaces may contact either the Chair of the Cemetery Committee or the Chair of the Board of Trustees.
6. Interested parties will view the cemetery layout and select a cemetery burial space.
7. Upon payment, the Salem Board of Trustees will issue a Certificate of Ownership in the name of the purchaser, and provide guidelines for grave adornment.
8. A Certificate of Ownership will be issued for each burial space.
9. Checks shall be made payable to Salem Church Cemetery Fund. Checks will be forwarded to the Church Treasurer for deposit in the Cemetery Fund.
10. The Board of Trustees will maintain a Cemetery Master Layout. When a burial space is sold, the name of the purchaser will be written on that particular space.
11. The transfer of ownership of any lot, full or half, is subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees. Upon approval of the Board of Trustees, a new Certificate of Ownership shall be issued to the new owner for recording purposes. If anyone claims heir to a burial space deeded to another, legal documentation must be presented to the Board of Trustees before a transfer of the deed will occur.
12. If at any time the purchaser no longer has a desire to use the burial space purchased, Salem Church may purchase back the burial space at the price originally paid by the purchaser.
PRICING OF LOTS
1. CURRENT PRICING (effective March 1, 2010): $500.00 for a single burial space. (Half Lot) — $1,000.00 for two (2) burial spaces. (Full Lot)
2. The Board of Trustees will bi-annually review the price of burial lots to remain consistent with surrounding churches. Any recommendation for an increase in the cost will be presented to the Salem Church Council for consideration and approval. If an increase is approved, an announcement will be made at least 30 days prior to implementation.
GRAVE SITE ADORNMENT
1. No monument, headstone, or marker shall exceed 16 square feet in diameter, and a height of 54″ measuring from the front of the stone.
2. No monument, headstone, marker or footstone shall be placed in the cemetery unless a foundation with a depth of 18″ of concrete has been laid, measured from grade level.
3. Footstones and Military Plaques must be kept at ground level.
4. Stone work or any other material shall not be brought into the cemetery when the ground is not in suitable condition, or when the proper foundation has not been prepared.
5. All flowers, artificial or natural, are permitted, provided they are maintained in a pleasing and aesthetic condition. All flowers artificial or natural not meeting these criteria will be removed by custodians of the cemetery.
6. All Christmas decorations must be removed by March 1. After March 1, the custodians will remove and dispose of those decorations.
7. All headstones will be situated facing to the western direction.
PERPETUAL CARE
Mowing and general maintenance of the cemetery are funded by the Salem Church Cemetery Perpetual Endowment Fund. This fund consists of contributions from cemetery lot owners. These funds are not spent, but rather, the interest earned from these funds is used to pay for mowing and general maintenance.
NOTE: Lot owners are encouraged to contribute to this fund periodically to maintain their cemetery lots.
CEMETERY COMMITTEE
George Stottlemyer (Chair), Bobby Fogle, Meredith Harshman, Robin Haupt, and Steve Leatherman.