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All the United States Maine Bangor Mount Hope Cemetery

Mount Hope Cemetery

The second-oldest garden cemetery in the U.S. was also a college brainstorm spot of Stephen King.

Bangor, Maine

Added By
Abby Hanson
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Mount Hope Cemetery   Svetlana Miljkovic/cc by-sa 3.0
Mount Hope Cemetery   Svetlana Miljkovic/cc by-sa 3.0
Supposedly the gravestone from which Stephen King took the character name Carrie for his novel of the same name.   Abby Hanson / Atlas Obscura User
It’s said this gravestone inspired the name of Georgie from Stephen King’s “It.”   Abby Hanson / Atlas Obscura User
1871 photo of Mount Hope Cemetery.   Marston, C. L./public domain
Grave of Hannibal Hamlin, the 15th Vice President of the United States.   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
  sarahhanisko / Atlas Obscura User
  sarahhanisko / Atlas Obscura User
You can find Georgie and Carrie near the main entrance. Look for the monument on the hill. They’re straight down on the flat section.   sarahhanisko / Atlas Obscura User
1920s Art Deco Waiting Room. There used to be a trolly from Bangor to Orono, and the cemetery used to be a stop.   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Couples walking around hand-in-hand, families discussing American history, writers relaxing in the shade—these may seem like images more fitting to a public park than a cemetery. But Mount Hope is no ordinary cemetery. 

Founded in 1836 at the height of the rural cemetery movement, Mount Hope Cemetery was created with aesthetics in mind. The townspeople of Bangor, Maine, frustrated by the overcrowding of small, urban cemeteries, established Mount Hope as the United States' second garden cemetery, a title earned by the small pond, plentiful trees, and elevated plots within the cemetery. 

Perhaps this charming Romantic-Era style is what drew young Stephen King, a college student at the University of Maine in nearby Orono, to often visit Mount Hope in his hours off, hatching story ideas that are now famous in popular culture. According to the tour guide, King borrowed the names of some of his best-known characters, such as Carrie and Georgie, from Mount Hope headstones. The graveyard was also featured in several scenes from the movie adaption of King's novel Pet Sematary. 

But Stephen King isn't the only big name associated with Mount Hope. Hannibal Hamlin, the U.S. Vice President under Abraham Lincoln and a prominent Maine politician, was laid to rest here. So were gangster Al Brady, comedian Richard Golden, and actor Ralph Sipperly, as well as many prominent members of Congress, ambassadors, governors, lumber magnates, and Civil War generals. These figures can be found on the cemetery's self-guided walking tour. 

Established in the same year that Bangor was incorporated, the story of Mount Hope Cemetery is inextricably intertwined with that of the city, and it offers some serious local flair. 

Related Tags

Cemeteries Books Literature Gravestones Local History Horror Graves

Know Before You Go

No dogs are allowed. Gate hours are posted on the cemetery online. Information about where to find famous graves can be found under the "History" tab on Mount Hope's website.

Community Contributors

Added By

Abby Hanson

Edited By

ickaimp, sarahhanisko, melissamaimone11

  • ickaimp
  • sarahhanisko
  • melissamaimone11

Published

October 26, 2018

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Sources
  • http://bangorinfo.com/Focus/focus_mount_hope_cemetery.html
  • https://sk-tours.com/activities/tour-of-stephen-kings-derry-maine/
  • Stu Tinker, SK Tours
  • https://mthopebgr.com
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hope_Cemetery_(Bangor%2C_Maine)
  • http://z1073.com/10-places-every-stephen-king-fan-must-stop-while-in-bangor/
Mount Hope Cemetery
1048 State St
Bangor, Maine
United States
44.824423, -68.719838
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Chamberlain Freedom Park

Brewer, Maine

miles away

Hannibal Hamlin Death Couch

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miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bangor

Bangor

Maine

Places 8
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Chamberlain Freedom Park

Brewer, Maine

miles away

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miles away

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bangor

Bangor

Maine

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Stories 1

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