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The elevation of land that was purchased was known in those days as “Mount Pleasant”. At the time it commanded a view of the surrounding County for many miles in every direction. 

 The grounds were located on the “Public Road” (now East Broad Street) about one and a half miles distant from the railroad stations of Westfield and Cranford. The site was deemed as the most desirable in the state with its rolling hills and dry soil suitable for burial purposes. 

From inception, ownership of Fairview was vested in the lot holders. Each lot purchased carried with it a voting right for officers and ownership in all land unsold. Today Fairview has more than 17,000 lot owners and over 40,000 interments. 

Fairview cemetery was dedicated on September 24, 1868. Officiating were The Rev. Philemon Elmer Coe, who at that time was organizing the local Episcopal Church, and the Rev. Edward Edgar of the Presbyterian Church.

Initial roadways were laid out and a receiving vault was built in 1873. A “Soldiers Plot” was constructed in 1886 for Union Army soldiers and sailors. A “Lodge” with a chapel was constructed in 1890.  By the turn of the century the cemetery had increased in size to 75 acres through the purchase of neighboring farmlands.