Franklin Cemetery Association

Established in 1827, just three years after the founding of the Village, by the Village’s founding families. As the third oldest active cemetery in the State of Michigan, and we are designated as an ”Historic Country Cemetery” by the National Register of Historic Places.

Despite a general assumption that the cemetery is owned by the Village, it is, in fact, a privately-owned, tax-exempt nonprofit organization established in 1907. We are made up of the families that own burial rights in the cemetery and governed by a Board of Directors, comprised of members and elected by the general membership. When a family buys burial rights through the purchase of a grave site, they become part of the cemetery community.

The Cemetery operates under the regulatory authority of the State of Michigan’s Bureau of Cemetery Regulations. Abiding by these regulations, the Cemetery has a separate, 501 (c) 3. non-profit corporation that maintains a professionally managed Trust that provides the resources for perpetual care of the cemetery grounds and its management.

The Cemetery has approximately 700 remaining grave sites available for purchase. Pricing can vary:

*** $2,500 or $3,500 per grave (depending on what part of the
cemetery the grave may be located).

You can acquire more detailed information on other pages on this website or by contacting our Cemetery Administrator, Steve Bancroft at 248-200-9493 or at franklincemetery@