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Select Board names new Nurse Street burial ground "Westland Cemetery"
Summary
After public comment and a historical commission recommendation, the select board adopted "Westland Cemetery" as the official name for the new cemetery on Nurse Street, with a unanimous vote.
The Westborough Select Board voted Dec. 2 to name the new burial ground on Nurse Street "Westland Cemetery," accepting a recommendation from the Westborough Historical Commission and public input.
Board members said the Historical Commission’s review recommended "Westland" because the site is in the western portion of town and the name is consistent with historic cemetery naming conventions in Westborough. The commission, in a letter read by a board member, noted that gravestones in older cemeteries "have all faced west as a symbol of the sun setting on a person's life," and argued the name would fit local traditions.
Resident Lee Stroud, who said he has lived in town for six decades, urged a name that reflects the town’s agricultural past. "That area ... is in the area of former and current farms," Stroud said in public comment, arguing that names like "Farmlands" highlight Westborough’s heritage.
Board members weighed the choices — Farmlands Cemetery, Harmony Grove Cemetery, Westland Cemetery, and West Winds Cemetery — and debated compromise options (such as "Westland Farms" or "West Farm Cemetery") before concluding that Westland best fit historical and geographic criteria. One board member said they did not want to create a name that implied a specific farm site and voiced support for the Historical Commission’s recommendation.
A motion to adopt the name passed on a 5–0 voice vote. The select board closed the public hearing after the vote and confirmed spelling and singular use: "Westland, 1 word. Singular. No s."
