Masonic Cemetery (Colma)

Masonic Cemetery (Colma)
Name	Masonic Cemetery (Colma)
Established	1870s
Country	United States
Location	Colma, California
Type	Private
Owner	Masonic Order organizations
Size	~8 acres
Graves	Historic burials

Masonic Cemetery (Colma) is a historic fraternal burial ground located in Colma, California near San Francisco, Daly City, and South San Francisco. The cemetery originated to serve members of Freemasonry, Odd Fellows, and affiliated benevolent societies relocated during late 19th- and early 20th-century urban reorganization involving San Francisco Bay municipal authorities and private landholders. Its grounds contain monuments and memorials reflecting entombments associated with California Gold Rush era figures, Spanish–American War veterans, and civil society leaders linked to San Francisco lodges and statewide Masonic institutions.

History

The cemetery’s origins trace to burials associated with San Francisco fraternal lodges, Masonic Grand Lodge of California, and chapter organizations that used rural plots in the Bay Area during post-Gold Rush expansion and the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Relocation pressures from San Francisco Board of Supervisors ordinances, Mayor James Phelan (mayor), and the San Francisco Board of Public Works led to mass transfers and reinterments tied to policies also affecting Laurel Hill Cemetery, Calvary Cemetery (San Francisco), and other urban burial grounds. During the 1930s and the postwar era, municipal development initiatives connected to Transbay Terminal planning, Interstate 280 (California), and other infrastructure projects accelerated moves to Colma, a town that became notable for its concentration of cemeteries including Cypress Lawn Cemetery, Woodlawn Memorial Park (Colma), and Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma).

Layout and Monuments

The approximately eight-acre plan features axial pathways, lodge-oriented plots, and freestanding memorials influenced by funerary architecture common to Victorian architecture, Beaux-Arts architecture, and Neoclassical architecture. Prominent markers include Masonic symbolism such as the square and compasses and obelisks reminiscent of Washington Monument forms and references to Egyptian Revival architecture. Funerary sculptures on site recall styles associated with sculptors who worked for cemeteries including Cemetery art traditions found at Laurel Hill Cemetery and Green-Wood Cemetery. Landscaping draws on horticultural practices from Golden Gate Park era planting and species popularized by John McLaren (gardener) and A. St. Gaudens-era memorial sculpture aesthetics.

Notable Interments

Interments reflect membership in fraternal and civic institutions such as the Masonic Grand Lodge of California, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and local lodge officers from San Francisco, San Mateo County, and Alameda County. Burials include veterans connected to the Civil War, Spanish–American War, and regional militias with ties to commanders and officials recorded in state archives and cemetery registries. Prominent names associated with early California Republic business elites, Comstock Lode investors, railroad executives tied to Southern Pacific Railroad, and civic leaders who participated in Board of Supervisors (San Francisco) governance appear among the memorials. Fraternal leaders who served as Grand Masters and lodge secretaries, many of whom were active in organizations such as the Ancient Order of United Workmen and Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, are represented in marked plots and lodge mausolea.

Ownership and Management

Ownership historically has been held by Masonic-affiliated organizations including corporate entities chartered by the Masonic Grand Lodge of California and subsidiary societies established under California incorporation statutes administered by the California Secretary of State. Management practices reflect nonprofit cemetery governance comparable to trusteeship arrangements used at Cypress Lawn Cemetery and Colma Township area cemeteries, with oversight involving lodge-appointed trustees, cemetery superintendents, and conservation committees. Legal interactions have occurred with county offices such as the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and regulatory departments concerned with land use, deed transfers, and cemetery code compliance.

Preservation and Restoration

Preservation efforts engage partnerships among fraternal orders, local historical organizations like the Colma Historical Association, and preservation specialists familiar with National Register of Historic Places criteria and standards promulgated by the National Park Service. Restoration projects emphasize stone conservation, monument stabilization, and landscape rehabilitation drawing on protocols used by conservators who worked at sites such as Mission Dolores Cemetery and Presidio of San Francisco burial grounds. Grant funding and volunteer programs have involved entities like the California Office of Historic Preservation, regional heritage foundations, and university-affiliated archaeology departments conducting surveys and archival research.

Access and Visiting Information

The cemetery is accessible from El Camino Real (U.S. Route 101 in California), near transit corridors serving San Francisco Municipal Railway connections and Caltrain stations in Bayshore. Visiting hours and regulations align with policies common to private cemeteries in San Mateo County, with appointments recommended for research by genealogists, historians, and lodge members affiliated with the Freemasonry network. Visitors consult onsite caretakers, lodge offices, or municipal archives such as San Mateo County Recorder's Office for interment records, plot locations, and permissions for photography or conservation work.

Category:Cemeteries in San Mateo County, California