Cemetery Ordinances

Rules and Regulations Governing Blandford Cemetery and People’s Memorial Cemetery

Rules and Regulations Adopted by Petersburg City Council 

Decoration of Lots or Plots

Floral Regulations – The management shall have authority to remove all floral designs, flowers, weeds, trees, shrubs, plants or herbage of any kind from the cemetery, as soon as, in the judgment of the management, they become unsightly, dangerous, detrimental or diseased, or when they do not conform to the standard maintained. The City shall not be liable for floral pieces, baskets, or other receptacles, which may be left in the cemetery.

Certain Ornaments Prohibited – The placing of boxes, shells, toys, metal designs, ornaments, statuary, fencing, chairs, settees (benches), vases, gravel/stones, bird feeders, glass, wood, or iron cases, and similar articles upon lots, plots, or walkways, shall not be permitted. The management shall have the authority to remove said prohibited articles, or request the owner/family to remove said article. However, the temporary placing of vases or urns for the purpose of containing flowers is not prohibited.

The planting of flowers, trees, or shrubs, by a lot/plot owner on a lot or square, shall be prohibited.

Damage to Monuments, Markers, Mausoleums – The City shall not be held responsible/liable for any damages to monuments, memorials, markers, or mausoleums placed on a gravesite whether said damages are caused as the result of grounds maintenance or vandalism.

Memorial Work

All curbing around lots where curbing is permitted shall be the same width and the posts the same size, except that in cases where one lot joins another that has already been curbed, the curbing and corner posts shall be made to correspond with the curbing adjoining same.  Where curbing is permitted in any new section, all such curbing and corner posts shall be of uniform size, eight-inch curbing and ten-inch corner posts. Curbing around lots is to be measured from center of curb to center of posts. No double line curbing shall be constructed around any lot or part thereof.

No curbing of concrete, granite or other material shall be permitted in sections of the cemetery opened for use after March 1, 1952. Specifically, these Wards are: Crater, OO Ravenscroft, OO, A.P. Hill, PP, QQ, RR, SS, and TT. Corner markers shall be installed flush with the ground.

Only one family “upright monument” shall be permitted on a lot or square in Wards known as Crater, OO Ravenscroft, A.P. Hill, PP, QQ, RR, SS, and TT. It shall be installed in the center of a whole square (or at the foot, if a half square), and its base shall not exceed 18 x 60 inches.   The installation of an “upright monument” with a base in excess of 18 x 60 inches may be permitted by the written consent of the management, and in that event the monument shall occupy grave space. Flat markers, only, will be permitted in Ward OO.

Any upright monument or flat marker placed, shall occupy grave space, with the exception of Crater Ward and OO Ravenscroft.

Individual graves on a lot or square may be marked only with flat markers.

Single grave plots shall be marked only with flat markers flush with the ground level in Ward OO.

Any mausoleums constructed above ground level shall be centered on the lot and so located that any side or end shall not be nearer than 30 inches to the lot line.

All lettering on flat markers shall be incised (cut in), not raised type.

The installation of all memorial work shall be carried on subject to the supervision of the management and no such work shall be commenced until specifications have been furnished to and approved by the management and a permit for the same has been issued.

No individual markers or monuments shall be permitted on Memorial Hill.

Markers or monuments in memory of a deceased person not interred in Blandford Cemetery shall not be permitted.

All maintenance, repair, replacement of monuments, markers, or memorial work of any kind, shall be the sole responsibility of the lot/plot owner, or his/her/their descendants. The City will in no way be held responsible or liable for any damages.

Conduct of Persons Within the Cemetery

Must Use Walks – Persons within the cemetery grounds shall use only the avenues, roads, and walkways.

Children – Children under sixteen years of age shall not be permitted within the cemetery, other than at times when they may be attending burials, unless accompanied by adult persons who are responsible for their conduct.

Flowers, Etc. – All unauthorized persons are prohibited from removing floral arrangements from gravesites, gathering flowers, either wild or cultivated, or breaking trees, shrubbery or plants within the cemetery grounds.

Refreshments – No person or persons shall be permitted to hold picnics or to partake of food or refreshments on the cemetery grounds, except those who may be employed in the cemetery, who may be permitted to bring their lunches during the time that they are at work.

Rubbish – The throwing of rubbish or grass cuttings on the drives, paths, or any other part of the grounds is prohibited. Receptacles for waste material are located in convenient places, and all refuse must be deposited in these receptacles.

Motor Vehicles of any Type – Motor vehicles of any type must be registered and display valid license plates and not be driven through the cemetery grounds at a speed greater than fifteen (15 miles) per hour. Vehicles shall not be parked on a roadway near an open grave unless such vehicles are in attendance at a funeral.

Bicycles, dirt bikes, ATV’s  – The riding of any unlicensed vehicle, to include dirt bikes, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, or ATV’s, on the roadways in the cemetery, shall not be permitted.   

Peddling or Soliciting – Peddling of flowers or plants or soliciting the sale of any commodity on the cemetery grounds is prohibited.  This shall also include persons approaching other persons, lawfully in the cemetery, for the purpose of propagating their religion/faith.

Vandalism/Theft – Vandalism or theft of or on cemetery grounds will not be tolerated.   Violators will be prosecuted.

Loitering – Loitering on cemetery property is prohibited.

Metal Detectors - The use of metal detectors, or relic hunting of any nature, on cemetery property is prohibited. Violators will be prosecuted.

Signs or Advertisements – No signs, notices, or advertisements of any kind shall be permitted in the cemetery grounds.

Dogs – Dogs, except for service dogs, shall not be permitted on the cemetery grounds or buildings unless on a leash and under control of the owner, who shall also “scoop” up after their dog.

Times Cemetery Office Is Open – The office at the cemetery shall be kept open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the exception of such holidays authorized by City Council.

Times Cemetery Grounds Open – The cemetery grounds shall be open seven days per week, from dawn to dusk, and no person shall be permitted on the grounds unless by special permission of the management except during these hours.