The Friends of Hope Cemetery About the Friends of Hope Cemetery The Friends of Hope Cemetery was founded in 1991 by a group of concerned citizens who wished to assist the city in the preservation conservation and beautification of the cemetery. The Friends promote an appreciation of the cemetery with a wide variety of programs including historical walking tours lectures bird walks conservation workshops and Arbor Day activities. Significant preservation projects have included the Nixon gates the James Norcross mausoleum and the Shaw mausoleum as well as restoration of the Houghton mausoleum the Orlando Norcross mausoleum the BigelowStevens mausoleum and the Coes plot fencing and gate. In 2004 a capital campaign was launched in partnership with the city to erect a childrens monument and to design accompanying landscaping.