Blue Ridge Funeral & Cremation Service        7626 Highway 213      Mars Hill, NC 28754     Phone: (828) 680-9963      Fax: (828) 680-9965      Email: brfs@blueridgefuneralservice.org

History of Cremation

History of Cremation

Cremation has been a common method of disposition for many centuries, all across the world. Cremation first began as far back as 20,000 years ago. There is evidence of cremation beginning in Europe roughly 2,000 B.C. and many scholars believe the practice became quite popular around this time for Europeans. 
 
Over time, popularity of cremation began to wane. By the Middle Ages, cremation became a form of punishment and was not viewed as a compassionate way to care for the deceased. Cremation reclaimed popularity by the late 1800’s. The first crematory in the United States was constructed in 1876. By 1913, there were 52 crematories across North America and more than 10,000 cremations occurring annually.

Cremation’s earliest supporters formed societies and associations, which were fed by the transformation of burial practices. By supporting a society or association, members were not only supporting the building of a crematory in their community, they were also pre-paying for their own cremation. An important way for early cremation supporters to get their message out was through propaganda. Cremation societies often published booklets and pamphlets that featured reasons for choosing cremation over burial, locations of the crematories in the US, opinions of notable persons who supported the movement, and photos of retorts and urn selections.


By 1913, there were 52 crematories across North America and more than 10,000 cremations occurring annually. The process of cremation as we know it now only began slightly over 100 years ago. As environmental and financial concerns dominate North American culture, cremation is still seeing a drastic rise in popularity. To learn more about why people are choosing cremation please visit the benefits of cremation section of our website.

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