The cemetery opened in the fall of 1849 and has become a centerpiece of downtown Easton thanks to its ample green space and ornate funerary art. As the death industry has undergone a sea change due to a litany of factors over recent years, the nonprofit cemetery has run into financial difficulties. But new board members and a groundswell of ideas to bring the cemetery in a new direction have inspired a growing atmosphere of optimism around the 86 acres of cemetery grounds between the West Ward and Route 22.