Cemeteries & Burial Records

Preserving beauty, history and generations of Claytonites!

The three municipal cemeteries in Clayton are meticulously cared for by Town staff as they are sacred homes generations of Clayton families, veterans going back to the Civil War, several state representatives and even Mayor Joseph Ellington, who served the Town in 1887.

The Town of Clayton Cemeteries

• City Cemetery
  430 W Front Street
• Forest Hills
  5479 Little Creek Church Road
• Maplewood
  504 S Smith Street

Burial Records Search

Doing genealogy research? Want to visit a particular grave but can't remember which row? Use our Burial Records Search to find the information you might need. Depending on how much detail has been provided, you might find a grave number, name, dates, gender, etc. This database is always being updated with current information available. 

Cemetery Inquiries or Purchasing

If you have questions about our cemeteries, need information about existing plots, or would like to purchase a plot, you are now required to make an appointment for any cemetery business. Please call 919-553-1530 to schedule an appointment at the Town's Operations Center at 653 NC Highway 42 W. An additional appointment can be made to visit the cemetery with our staff to view the site or sites.

Payment for a plot or grave is accepted only at 111 E 2nd Street, in Town Hall. The cost is $1,000 per grave and $900 to open and close it upon interment. The $900 for opening/closing must be paid in full before a standard interment. Costs vary for Sunday and/or holiday internments and for cremains internment.

Markers

The Town provides a footstone for each grave (after 2012) that includes the name, birth year and year of death for the deceased. Headstones are permitted. Flush monuments are required in sections A, B, C, D, E, I, J and K of Maplewood Cemetery and all of Forest Hills Cemetery. There is no fee for getting a permit to place a monument.

We do allow for flowers and decorations; be sure to view our Flower and Decoration Policy (PDF).

Planning in Advance

The passing of a loved one is a difficult time and there are many details to work through. If you would like to make arrangements in advance, our staff will be glad to help you! Decide on a location now, pay in advance and the arrangements will be less stressful when the time for a burial finally arrives.

Some Things to Remember

1. The Town provides perpetual care for all Town-owned cemeteries. Removal, destruction, or defacement of any headstone, monument, or other materials in any Town-owned cemetery is prohibited unless one or more of the following apply: a) the site is your property, or b) you have obtained written consent from the rightful property owner, or c) you have received written permission from the Town Manager (Cemetery Ordinance 92.07).
2. No animals are allowed within any Town-owned cemetery (Cemetery Ordinance 92.11).
3. Please keep all vehicular traffic on the roadways while adhering to the designated 15 miles per hour (mph) speed limit (Cemetery Ordinance 92.09).
4. The Town does provide police protection for all Town-owned and maintained cemeteries. No person or persons shall be inside any Town-owned cemetery after sunset or 7 pm, whichever comes first, until sunrise on the following morning (Cemetery Ordinance 92.10).
5. The Town is not responsible for any loss or damage to any grave marker, vase or other property within the Cemetery as a result of the elements, storms, theft, trespassers, or operation of automobiles by visitors to the Cemetery (Cemetery Ordinance 92.1).
6. No borders, coping, fencing, hedging or enclosure of any kind around any grave are allowed in the Cemetery. No benches, night lights, or sundials are permitted (Cemetery Ordinance 92.07.I).

A comprehensive copy of our Cemetery Ordinances is available online.