PARK AND CEMETERY, 
271 
FIVE STATES HAVE TENEMENT MAUSOLEUM LAWS 
Connecticut has just passed a community 
mausoleum law, which makes five states 
with laws to regulate the construction of 
the tenement mausoleum. The laws of In- 
diana, Maine, Vermont and Wisconsin are 
similar in their general provision to the 
Connecticut act. 
The law, like the others, places the 
censoring of the construction and sani- 
tary features in the hands of the State 
Board of Health. 
The law reads in part as follows: 
(Substitute for Senate Bill No. 319.) 
CHAPTER 206. 
An Act concerning Public Vaults, Crypts, or Mau- 
soleums. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- 
resentatives in General Assembly convened: 
Construction to be approved by the State Board 
of Health. 
Section 1. No person shall construct any vault, 
crypt, or mausoleum for public use, wholly or par- 
tially above the surface of the ground, to be 
used to contain the body of any dead person until 
plans and specifications thereof shall be approved 
by the state board of health. Such plans and 
specifications shall provide: (a) That such struc- 
ture be so arranged that the cell or crypt may 
be readily examined at any time by any person 
authorized by law to examine the same. (b) That 
suitable provision be made for hermetically and 
permanently sealing each crypt or cell after the 
placing of any body therein, and in such manner 
that no odor or effluvium may escape therefrom, 
(c) That the materials of which such structure 
is to be constructed are to be of the best qual- 
ity and of a character best suited for the pur- 
poses intended. Upon approval of such plans and 
specifications said board shall file a certificate of 
such approval signed by the president or secre- 
tary of said board, or both, with a copy of such 
plans and specifications, in the office of the town 
clerk pf the town or city wherein such structure 
is to be erected, and said clerk shall retain the 
same on file. 
Sec. 2. Such structure shall be erected under 
the supervision of an inspector to be appointed by 
said board, which shall determine the amount of 
his compensation which shall be paid by the per- 
son erecting the same. No vault, crypt, mauso- 
leum. or structure erected as aforesaid shall be 
used for the purpose of interring therein any body 
until the person interring the same shall have ob- 
tained from said board a certificate signed by the 
q president or secretary, or both, certifying that the 
plans and specifications filed pursuant to the pro- 
vision of this act have been complied with, which 
certificate shall be filed in the office of the town 
clerk. 
Penalty. 
Sec. 3. Any person or any officer, manager, or 
agent of any corporation or association, violating 
any provision of this act. shall be fined not more 
than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned not more 
than six months, provided the provisions of this 
act shall not be construed so as to prohibit or 
apply to the construction of temporary receiving 
vaults. 
The Indiana state community mausoleum 
law, the first act in this country to regu- 
late the construction of tenement mauso- 
leums, was passed in 1913. It is known 
as the Beatty Law and reads in full as 
follows : 
Section 1. Be it so enacted by the General 
Assembly of the State of Indiana, that hereafter 
when any person, firm or corporation, shall de- 
sire to build, construct or erect any mausoleum, 
vault or burial structure, the same to be built or 
constructed entirely above the ground, or partly 
above and partly by excavation, and to be built, 
constructed and erected so that the same may 
contain twenty or more deceased human bodies for 
permanent interment, before proceeding to build, 
construct or erect such mausoleum, vault or other 
structure, shall present all plans for such con- 
1 
struction to the State Board of Health of the 
State of Indiana, and if approved by such board, 
may proceed with the construction and erection 
of such mausoleum, vault or other structure. 
Sec. 2. All crypts or catacombs, if any be 
placed therein, in such mausoleum, vault or other 
structure, shall be so constructed that all parts 
thereof may be readily and easily examined by 
the State Board of Health or any other health 
officer, and such crypts or catacombs, shall be 
hermetically sealed after such deceased body or 
bodies shall have been placed therein, that no 
offensive or unhealthful odor or effluvia may escape 
therefrom. 
Sec. 3. Should any person, firm or corporation, 
fail to hermetically seal such crypts, or cata- 
combs, so placed or constructed in such mau- 
soleum, vault or other burial structure, and by 
reason of such failure offensive odors or effluvia 
arise therefrom, such State Board of Health, or 
any other health officer of the state or county, in 
which such mausoleum, vault or other burial struc- 
ture shall be situated, shall, upon the complaint 
of any resident of the township, where such 
mausoleum, vault or other burial structure may be 
situated, compel the sexton or other person in 
charge of such mausoleum, vault or other burial 
structure, to immediately remove said deceased 
body or bodies therefrom and properly inter the 
same, at the expense of the person, firm or 
corporation, owning such mausoleum, vault or othei 
burial structure. And if no such person, firm 
or corporation can be found in county where the 
same may be located, then such interment shall 
be at the expense of the township where such 
mausoleum, vault or other burial structure may 
be situated. 
Sec. 4. Any person, firm or corporation, who 
shall fail or refuse to comply with the provisions 
of this act, may be fined in any sum, not ex- 
ceeding five hundred dollars, to which may be 
added imprisonment in the county jail, not ex- 
ceeding six months. 
The Maine state law regulating com- 
munity mausoleums reads as follows : 
An Act to Regulate the Construction of Mausoleums 
or Tombs to be used for Permanent Burial. 
Re it enacted by the people of the State of 
Maine, as follows: 
Section 1. Before any person, firm or corpora- 
tion, shall build, construct, or erect, any mausoleum, 
vault or other burial structure, entirely above 
ground or partlv above and partly by excavation, 
with the intention and purpose that when built, 
constructed and erected the same may contain 
twenty or more deceased human bodies for perman- 
ent interment, the person, firm or corporation shall 
present all plans for construction to the State 
Board of Health of the State of Maine, and shall 
obtain the written approval of said Board of such 
plans before proceeding with the construction and 
erection of said mausoleum, or other burial struc- 
ture. 
Sec. 2. All crypts or catacombs placed in a mau- 
soleum, vault or other burial structure, as described 
in Section 1 of this Act, shall be so constructed 
that all parts thereof may be readily examined by 
the State Board of Health, or any other health of- 
ficer, and such crypts or catacombs, when used for 
the permanent interment of a deceased body or 
bodies, shall be so hermetically sealed that no offen- 
sive order or effluvia may escape therefrom. 
Sec. 3. Should any person, firm or corporation, 
build, construct, or erect a mansoleum, vault or 
other burial structure, as specified in Section 1 of 
this Act, before obtaining the approval of the State 
Board of Health, as required in Section 1 of this 
Act. or should any person, firm or corporation, after 
building or constructing said mausoleum, vault or 
other burial structure, in accordance with the re- 
quirements of this Act, fall to hermetically seal all 
crypts or catacombs therein after a dead body has 
t»een placed In said crypt or catacomb, according to 
the requirements of this Act, the said person, firm 
or corporation, shall be fined not less than one nor 
more than five hundred dollars for each offense, and 
the court may order the person, firm or corporation, 
by whose authority said Interment was made, in ad- 
dition to said fine, within a reasonable time to her- 
metically seal said crypts or catacombs containing 
said deceased body, or In the discretion of the court 
to remove the deceased body, and bury it in some 
suitable cemetery, or the court may order the her- 
metical sealing of said crypt or catacomb to be done 
under the direction of the Board of Health in the 
municipality where said mausoleum, vault or other 
burial structure is erected, and that the said person, 
firm or corporation, shall pay all expenses attending 
the said work or the removal of said body, or 
bodies, and the burial of the same in some cemetery, 
provided the said body, or bodies, can not be suit- 
ably and properly hermetically sealed in said crypt 
or catacomb. 
Sec. 4. All fines or penalties provided by the 
terms of this Act may be recovered or enforced by 
indictment, and the necessary processes for causing 
the crypt and catacombs to be sealed or the bodies 
to be removed and buried, may be issued under the 
direction of any Justice of the Supreme Judical 
Court, or the Superior Courts, in term or vacation 
time. 
Sec. 5. The Supreme Judicial Courts and the Su- 
perior Courts shall have original and concurrent jur- 
isdiction, in all cases under the provisions hereof, 
provided that the judges of Municipal and Police 
courts and Trial Justices may cause the persom 
brought before them on complaint under the pro- 
visions of this Act to recognize with sufficient sure-- 
ties to appear before the Supreme Judicial Courts or 
Superior Courts, and, in default thereof, shall com- 
mit them. 
The Vermont law, which is known as the 
Pirie Act, reads in full as follows: 
IT. 378: Introduced by Mr. Pirie, of Williams- 
town: An Act relating to the erection of mauso- 
leums, vaults or other burial structures. 
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly 
of the State of Vermont: 
Section 1. A person, firm or corporation desiring 
to build, construct or erect any mausoleum, vault 
or other burial structure, the same to be built or 
constructed entirely above ground, or partly above 
ground and partly by excavation, and to be built, 
constructed and erected so that the same may 
contain twenty or more human bodies for permanent 
interment, shall, before proceeding to build, con- 
struct or erect such mausoleum, vault or other 
structure, present all plans for such construction to 
the state Board of Health, andi, if approved 
by such Board, may proceed with the construction 
and erection of such mausoleum, vault or other 
burial structure. 
Sec. 2. All crypts or catacombs, if any be 
placed in such mausoleum, vault or other struc- 
ture, shall be so constructed! that all parts thereof 
may be readily examined by the State Board of 
Health, or any health officer, and such crypts or 
catacombs shall be hermetically sealed after any 
body shall have been placed therein, so that no 
offensive or unhealthful odor or effluvia may es- 
cape therefrom. 
Sec. 3. If a person, firm or corporation fails to 
hermetically seal such crypts or catacombs, so 
placed or constructed in such mausoleums, vault or 
other burial structure, and by reason of such fail- 
ure offensive odor or effluvia arise therefrom, the 
State Board of Health or the health officer of the 
town, village or city in which such mausoleum, 
vault or other burial structure is located, shall, 
upon the complaint of any resident of such town, 
village or city, compel the sexton or person having 
charge of such mausoleum, vault or other burial 
structure, to immediately remove the body or bodies 
therefrom and properly inter the same at the ex- 
pense of the person, firm or corporation owning 
such mausoleum, vault or other burial structure. 
If no person, firm or corporation can be found then 
such interment shall be at the expense of the town, 
village or city where such mausoleum, vault or 
other burial structure is located. 
Sec. 4. A person, firm or corporation who fails 
or refuses to comply with the provisions of this Act 
shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars. 
The Wisconsin law was approved June 
10 and is similar in a general way to the 
laws of Indiana, Maine and Vermont. The 
Wisconsin act, however, was modified some- 
what from the original draft at the sug- 
gestion of the Secretary of the State 
Board of Health, who co-operated in get- 
ting the bill passed. The law reads as 
follows : 
