Sargent, F. Carroll

F. Carroll Sargent, born in Franklin, Massachusetts, moved here and became a well known plant enthusiast, serving as Superintendent of Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem most of his adult life.

F.(Fred) Carroll Sargent (June 9, 1880-July 12, 1969) was a retired masonry contactor. He married Carrie P. Lewis in Oct. 1903 at the age of twenty-five. They were married for 61 Years. Following his first wife's death, he married Marjorie Warren who survived him.

Sargent was well known in local and state horticultural societies and lectured on flowers before many groups, gaining a statewide reputation in horticulture. He was honored by the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts in 1964, when a scholarship was established in his honor. This scholarship still exists today. He ran an annual Chrysanthemum Show at Greenlawn Cemetery every year which drew large numbers.

His work at Greenlawn Cemetery was impactful. Under Mr. Sargent's direction and planning, Greenlawn became an arboretum where twelve thousand specimens were planted, including unusual varieties of shrubs and trees not often found in this locality, and is a point of interest to all interested garden enthusiasts. The Greenlawn Arboretum was officially named F. Carroll Sargent Arboretum at Greenlawn Cemetery in 2020.

Mr. Sargent was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, a past president of the Salem Rotary Club, and a member of the Essex Lodge. He was also a vice president of the Salem Five Cents Savings Bank, and a member of the Salem Cemetery Commission. He worked closely with Harlan P. Kelsey on the both the Cemetery Commission and in the Salem Garden Club.

See Also

Vertical File in Salem Collection - Sargent, F. Carroll

"F. Carroll Sargent, obituary" Salem Evening News, July 14, 1969.

Old Salem Gardens Salem Garden Club, 1946, p. 15, 24