Soldiers' Monument, established in 1889, as it appeared in c. 1906 |
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1865 |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Togus, Maine |
| Type | United States National Cemetery (closed) |
| Size | 31.2 acres (12.6 ha) |
| Number of interments | 5,373 |
Togus National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located at Togus, a facility operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs at Chelsea in Kennebec County, Maine. It encompasses 31.2 acres (126,000 m2), and as of the end of 2005, had 5,373 interments. It is closed to new interments.
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Named for an Algonquian Native American word for mineral water, the area the cemetery resides on was formerly a hotel and resort known as Togus Springs. The resort failed as a business due to the outbreak of the Civil War, and its owner died shortly thereafter. The federal government purchased the property for 50,000 dollars and established a veteran care facility. The first veterans were admitted on November 10, 1866. The facility was expanded and eventually had the capacity for 3,000 veterans.
The cemetery itself is divided into two plots, the West Cemetery and the East Cemetery. The older West Cemetery was first established in 1865 and moved to its present location in 1867; it closed for interments in 1936. The East Cemetery was opened in 1936 to provide additional interment space. It was closed for interments in 1961.