UXBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - Uxbridge Police are trying to connect two recent crimes.

Investigators believe two men are behind a case of vandalism at a local cemetery.

Several gravestones were smashed and toppled over.

The Old Richardshon family cemetery is an historical treasure well off the beaten path.

Most of it is ornate headstones, now lying on the ground cracked or broken.

Police are looking for two young men in connection with the vandalism.

“It’s disgraceful,” said local resident Eddie Fournier. “People should have more respect for the deceased.”

Firefighters noticed the damage while responding to a brush fire in the area.

A local cemetery association maintains the property with graves dating back to the 1700s.

Two Civil War veterans are buried there.

“This is the worst in at least 15 or 20 years,” Sheryl Romasco, head of Uxbridge Historical Cemetery Association, said.

Since the vandalism was first reported, someone stepped forward with a picture of two young men walking away from the area about the time of the fire.

Now, police think the fire was intentionally set.

The cemetery association is now seeking donations to help restore the cemetery.

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