Shrouded in the mists of Beacon Hill stands Comet Lodge Cemetery. A place of quiet contemplation yet turbulent history.
Comet Lodge Cemetery isn’t just a graveyard. It’s a layered tapestry woven from the threads of the Duwamish Nation’s sacred past and Seattle’s pioneer present. Established in the 1800s as a burial ground for the Duwamish it later became a resting place for Seattle’s early settlers. The headstones monuments and markers now mostly gone tell tales of lives lived and lost.
The story of Comet Lodge Cemetery is one of ownership disputes and questionable foreclosures. In 1908 Comet Lodge 139 sold the cemetery for a mere dollar. Later the city of Seattle acquired it through dubious legal maneuvers. The foreclosures contravened Washington state law. This law prohibits the foreclosure of cemeteries. The city’s actions were not only legally questionable but morally reprehensible.
Then came November 2 1987. All Souls Day Day of the Dead. The city bulldozed the graveyard to install a sewer line. Grave markers were destroyed. Many remains were disturbed. A section designated for babies was especially impacted. The act caused outrage and protests.
The destruction was not only a desecration of a sacred site but a disregard for human dignity. It stands as a sobering example of how urban development can erase history and trample on cultural heritage. The few remaining headstones stand as silent witnesses to this injustice. Some re-erected in the 2000s thanks to community activism.
Today Comet Lodge Cemetery exists in a liminal space. A place where homes now stand above disturbed remains. Where the ghosts of the past mingle with the echoes of the present. The cemetery’s history serves as a potent reminder of the importance of preserving cultural heritage and respecting the dead. A reminder that some losses are irreplaceable. A place that begs us to remember those lost and lost to history. A place that whispers of what could have been and what should never be repeated.