Abandoned Cemeteries

Abandoned cemeteries are cemeteries for which either no ownership can be determined by the county assessor; or the organization that formed for the purposes of burying the human dead has disbanded, has been administratively dissolved by the secretary of state, or has otherwise ceased to exist, and for which the title has not been conveyed; or no longer has a valid certificate of authority to operate as determined by the funeral and cemetery board.  The Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation may grant nontransferable certificate authority to maintain and protect abandoned cemeteries to non-profit organizations or state, tribal, or local government organizations.  This authority is limited to the care, maintenance, restoration, protection, and historic preservation of the abandoned cemetery.  An application for certificate authority is available in the link to the right.

Abandoned Cemetery Documents:

• Care & Maintenance Certificate Application
• Standards & Guidelines for Cerificates of Authority for Care and Mantenance

Organizations Awarded to Care for Cemeteries:

• Discovery Bay Cemetery Association: Discovery Bay Cemetery, Jefferson County
• Northeast Washington Geneological Society: Evergreen Cemetery, Stevens County
• Friends of Lone Pine Cemetery: Lone Pine Cemetery, Whitman
• Palouse Prairie Foundation: Whelan Cemetery, Whitman County
• City of Centralia: Sticklin Greenwood Cemetery, Lewis County
• Walla Walla County Historic Cemeteries: Stubblefield Cemetery, Lyons Creek Cemetery, all in Walla Walla County
• Rose Hill Cemetery Association, Rose Hill Cemetery, Walla Walla County 
• Lincoln Community Association: Peach Cemetery, Lincoln County
• Port Ludlow Cemetery: Ludlow Maintenance Commission
• Sandflats Pioneer Cemetery Association: Riverview Cemetery, Okanogan County
• Lewis County: Mountain View Cemetery, Lewis County