The Holy Family Cemetery in Enumclaw has recently undergone improvements.

The 100 year old cemetery is maintained by a committee from the Sacred Heart Church in Enumclaw and is located on the corner of SE 400th St. and 245th Ave. NE. It is part of local history, as one of the first Catholic churches in the area was established there. Many of the area’s founding members are buried in the cemetery.

The new leadership of the Holy Family Cemetery Committee recently undertook a 13 month long improvement project. A parking lot was put in, with curbing, and flowers and plants were added at the entrance.

125 monuments were cleaned, three benches were installed, and a new map of the grave sites was created. This new map will allow visitors to easily navigate the cemetery and understand the layout.

A new monument dedicated to the people known to be buried in the cemetery in unknown locations before 1926 was erected, listing their names. To cap off the work on the cemetery, a new arch and gate were installed last week, giving the cemetery a fresh, new look.

Before the project began, the cemetery simply covered a field and did not have a parking lot or plants. Now, the cemetery is easily recognizable and accessible by the public.

The cemetery was originally a part of the Holy Family Parish, which was located next to the cemetery. It closed before World War II and the building was removed.

After it closed, the cemetery was given to Sacred Heart in Enumclaw. The original Sacred Heart church was built on the corner of Porter Street and Griffin Avenue. It burned down and was rebuilt in the same area in 1911, but was moved to its current located on Farrelly Street and Griffin Ave. in 1973.

The cemetery still has burial plots open, with 250 new grave sites available.

This article has been updated with corrections.

Photo by Tiani Grosso