Togus National Cemetery (West)

GPS Coordinates: 44.276553, -69.711376
County: Kennebec
Record count: 3,815

Ownership: National Cemetery Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Directions: Located along the north side of Hallowell Rd, about 1,500 feet west of Togus VA Medical Center.

Background: Togus National Cemetery, located in Chelsea, Maine, originated from a failed Civil War-era resort. The property was Togus Springs, a luxury resort built by granite merchant Horace Beals in 1859. Named after the Native American word "Worromontogus" meaning "mineral water," the resort—locally dubbed "Beals' Folly"—closed in 1863 due to poor business during the Civil War.

The federal government purchased the property for $50,000, selecting it for its isolation, natural springs, and bargain price. In 1865, President Lincoln signed legislation establishing the National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, with Togus becoming the Eastern Branch—the first such facility.

The first veteran was admitted November 10, 1866. The cemetery comprises two sections: the West Cemetery, established in 1865 and relocated around 1867 (closed 1936), and the East Cemetery, opened in 1936 and closed for burials in 1961.

The (West) cemetery consists of Sections A-L, and P.

Burial Records

• Veterans Affairs Database, by Interment.net, April 17, 2025, (3,815 records)

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