In 1710 John Pynchon sold the land on which the Paucatuck Cemetery now stands to Benjamin Smith. The property passed from Benjamin to his son Jonathan who is believed to have given the land for the cemetery around 1770 but no deed exists for the transfer and the actual date may be earlier.
This burial ground was created for the people who lived in the “Paucatuck” and “Tatham” sections of West Springfield. The earliest recorded burial in Paucatuck Cemetery is that of Jonathan Smith, himself, who was interred in 1772.
Paucatuck Cemetery is the final resting-place for many West Springfield men with distinguished military records. Notable among these is the gravesite of Revolutionary War hero, Captain Luke Day. Captain Day’s military career spanned 7 years and, following the Revolutionary War, he was one of the three leaders in Shays’ Rebellion, now considered a major reason for the adoption of the United States Constitution with its emphasis on a strong federal government.
The cemetery is owned and operated by a private, non-profit association with no church affiliation and is still accepting burials today.