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Resident urges action on overgrown Savannah Cemetery; county says authority limited
Summary
A Mercer County resident raised concerns about overgrowth, garbage and unclear perpetual-care funds at Savannah Cemetery; county commissioners said state law limits county authority over private cemeteries and offered local contacts and next steps.
A woman who grew up in Lawrence County told the Board of Commissioners on May 20 that Savannah Cemetery is overgrown, strewn with trash and that she cannot locate records for paid perpetual care.
The comment came from Maggie Miller, who said she paid for perpetual care in the 1990s and found only an 1862 deed when she sought ownership records. “The grass was almost up to my hips,” Miller said. She said volunteers trimmed the grounds after a social-media post but that trash remains “over a hill” where she filled three 30‑gallon bags last year.
County officials responded that the Commonwealth does not generally give counties authority to maintain private cemeteries. The commissioners said the county owns and maintains one cemetery in Shenango Township — the county cemetery associated with the former Hillview Manor — but otherwise lacks statutory authority. The board advised Miller to contact Shenango Township supervisors and suggested she speak with Andrew Henley at the Newcastle Public Library and Jerry Cona in the county recycling and solid-waste office for assistance and cleanup resources. The board also offered to provide a contact for Jonathan Bruce of Bruce & Merrilees, who might have information about private ownership on one side of the road.
Commissioners noted the “second-class township code” contains language about township responsibilities for cemeteries and recommended Miller follow up with the township secretary or solicitor, or with township supervisors in Shenango or Wilmington townships. County Administrator Joe Vansco pointed to the county’s online property portal as the quickest way for residents to find ownership and deed information.
The board did not take any formal action; commissioners framed the matter as a public comment and provided suggested contacts and next steps. Miller was offered an email address and a possible follow-up in person after the meeting.
Miller’s concerns included an apparent lack of documentation tying perpetual-care payments to maintenance, volunteers who say caretakers were never paid, and visible waste and overflowing drums on the property. The county did not say it would assume maintenance for Savannah Cemetery and reiterated its limited statutory authority for private burial grounds.
