Methodist Cemetery was established on land of Stephen Smith, and in use by 1826. On 7 March 1827, Stephen Smith deeded a parcel of land "…bounded westerly on a highway, Northerly and Southerly on my own land-it being sold to said Town for a burying ground." The land was in what was known as the "Smithtown" village section of the Town of Seabrook, that area being comprised of many Smith residents. 

Subsequently, there became two cemeteries located within the Smithtown village area of Seabrook -- the earlier established Methodist Cemetery and the later established Hillside Cemetery. These two cemeteries are located side by side on adjacent tracts of land. The Methodist Cemetery terrain is grassy, with no paved dividers or numbered sections and no vehicle parking. Instead, parking for Methodist Cemetery visits is via the paved entry for Hillside Cemetery, with a short walk over to Methodist Cemetery. 

While many early death certificates indicated a burial location as "Methodist Cemetery" or the more generic "Smithtown", in fact, many actual burials were, instead, on adjacent land that is now known as Hillside Cemetery. However, at the time of these deaths, Hillside Cemetery was a privately-owned cemetery without a name. Thus, a number of death certificates indicate burial in Methodist Cemetery or "Smithtown Cemetery", when, in fact, they are buried in what is now known as Hillside Cemetery. 

The Historical Society of Seabrook, New Hampshire, has researched and prepared burial records in binders of both Methodist Cemetery and Hillside Cemetery. The Cemetery Department of the Department of Public Works, Town of Seabrook, New Hampshire, manages and maintains the four town cemeteries, which are Methodist, Hillside, Elmwood, and Wildwood.