Boston cemeteries could soon take donations for maintenance electronically

Locals and tourists might soon be able to donate electronically to the upkeep of 16 historic cemeteries in Boston through a station installed behind an entry pillar at the Granary Burying Ground just off Boston Common.

Money that the station receives would go toward supplementing the city’s annual $140,000 budget for managing the resting places of numerous notables (the Granary alone claims the remains of Sam Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Ben Franklin’s parents).

Apparently, residents and visitors routinely query the Boston Parks and Recreation Department about donating to the upkeep of the cemeteries, most of which date back at least a couple of centuries, the Herald’s Donna Goodison reports.

The Granary station is seen as a fundraising solution. It might also be the first of several such donation points.

The idea still has to clear a couple of committees. Stay tuned.

• Boston seeks electronic donations for sites [Herald]
• The Boston area’s 27 most historic cemeteries, mapped [Curbed Boston]