Fern Hill Cemetery in Chehalis
1441 Bishop Rd.
Chehalis, Lewis County, Washington 98532
Also known as Chehalis, Phillips, Urquhart Cemeteries
Directions
Fern Hill Cemetery is located on Bishop Road, approximately one mile south of the city limits, situated between the freeway and the industrial park.
History
The cemetery is a part of the W.M. Lewis Johnson donation land claim. In 1885, the old Chehalis Cemetery was 1 acre of land conveyed to the cemetery association by Sylvanus A. Phillips and his wife Mary E. Jackson Phillips and recorded in Book K of Deeds, page 326 in the Lewis County Auditors Office. In 1891, Anna and William Urquhart, in another act of generosity, acquired an additional 3.5 acres from Phillips for cemetery purposes.
In 1919, the Urquharts donated a section to Fernhill. During this time, William Urquhart purchased another four acres from S.A. Phillips and added it to the cemetery. In 1920, William Hansen and Anna Marie Hansen sold an additional four acres to the cemetery association, bringing the total area to approximately 8.5 acres. The cemetery was officially deeded to Fernhill in 1920.
Initially known as Chehalis, the cemetery was later called Urquhart after the Urquharts’ significant contributions. It was then incorporated as a non-profit organization and named Fernhill, which has since been associated with the cemetery’s rich history and community service.
According to Find A Grave, Andrew Michel Jackson’s death in 1861 is recorded as the earliest death at the cemetery.
Coffman Bank maintains a permanent sustaining fund known as the irreducible fund. This fund is never depleted; only its income, donations, and a portion of revenue from lot sales are used for maintenance. Most burial lots measure 15 feet by 18 feet, allowing up to eight burials. Many of Lewis County’s pioneers are interred there.
Additional information
Chehalis Teen on Cusp of Joining Inaugural Class of Female Eagle Scouts
Visit the Fern Hill Cemetery in Chehalis Website
