Charles Hart, a pioneer settler of Wauwatosa, established its original cemetery
with the death of his wife Sarah in 1841. Sara Hart was buried on a hill overlooking
Wauwatosa Avenue on the southwest corner of Wauwatosa and Milwaukee Avenues.
In 1846, Hart sold the land that included Sarah's burial site for fifty dollars
to the Village of Wauwatosa for use as a public cemetery.
Before
even two decades had passed, the cemetery was considered too small for the
growing community. Rev. Enoch Underwood, of the First Baptist Church, donated
land to relocate the cemetery in 1866. At that time, many of the graves were
transferred north to the present cemetery; some graves, however were moved
to other cemeteries.
In 1914, the original First Baptist Church was relocated to the cemetery for use as a memorial chapel.
As
in other areas of the nation, public parks were uncommon at the return of
the century. For many years, residents used the Wauwatosa Cemetery as a popular
green space for picnics and socializing.
