By Tiffany Williams –
Massachusetts just secured more than $4 million in federal funding to expand its two Veterans Memorial Cemeteries in Agawam and Winchendon, ensuring space for service members and their families for the next decade.
The money comes from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration and will fund new columbarium plazas at both sites. Agawam will receive $2.3 million for five walls with 1,550 niches, while Winchendon will get $1.78 million for two walls with 780 niches.
Governor Maura Healey called the cemeteries “dignified places of rest,” and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll described them as “sacred spaces” for families and communities. Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago said the expansions mean the state can “plan ahead and meet the needs of veterans for the next decade.”
EOVS worked with the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to secure the grants. Construction will comply with the federal Buy America Build America Act, with Kronenberger & Sons Restoration of Connecticut handling the Agawam project and Construction Dynamics of Clinton, Mass., taking on Winchendon. Both projects came in under budget.
Massachusetts is home to more than 300,000 veterans. The two state-run cemeteries provide no-cost burials for eligible veterans and their spouses, offering a final resting place of honor and remembrance.