The last time a cemetery was founded in Douglas County, Theodore Roosevelt was president.
That is, until independent cemetery developer Seven Stones broke ground on a 33-acre site just south of Chatfield State Park last week.
Larkspur's Stone Canyon Cemetery opened 109 years ago, according to Douglas County records. The partners behind Seven Stones want their site to stand in contrast to its older, historic counterparts and serve as a model for the industry in the 21st century.
"It's going to be a paradigm shift from the standpoint of creating a place that is welcoming and comfortable for families," said Doug Flin, Seven Stones' vice president.
Among the many ways Flin said Seven Stones hopes to create a welcoming environment is through creation of a botanical garden on much of site, with lots of native plant species, art and architectural elements. Though it may not be built for a few years yet, Flin said his group is planning a 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot discovery center where people could speak to staff about burial and cremation options on the property at 9635 N. Rampart Range Road in the Roxborough area.
Flin said that while many cemeteries mandate caskets be placed in a concrete vault below ground, Seven Stones will be open to what he referred to as "green" burial methods, including the use of biodegradable vessels. He said the company was also looking to use wind and solar power, and do as little watering as possible.
Plans for Seven Stones were announced in late 2013with aims to open in 2014, but Flin said obtaining water in the largely undeveloped area and finding the right financial partner delayed things. The cemetery is working with Collegiate Peaks Bank and will use raw water provided by United Water and Sanitation District, he said.
In total, the cemetery could accommodate 1,000 burials per acre, and as many as 60,000 cremated remains, Flin said. He hopes to host a grand opening on April 23 next year.
Several of Douglas County's historic cemeteries remain active.
Neil Adams, superintendent of Castle Rock's Cedar Hill Cemetery, said that despite opening in 1875, only 10 of its 32 acres have been used so far. Cedar Hill is overseen by a volunteer board of directors and its maintenance is funded by a special tax district, Adams said. The cemetery is only open to Douglas County residents, and does require use of concrete vaults for burials.
The nine other registered cemeteries in Douglas County have an average opening date of 1881, according to figures collected by Shaun Boyd, an archivist with the Douglas County History Research Center in Castle Rock.