The town was defined by a collection of lots, houses, businesses, a post office, and two lodges: The Masonic Lodge, and The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), which were formed in 1874. The lodges met in the two-story adobe (now long since dismantled) and, with about 100 families in town, the two lodges jointly purchased the property that became the cemetery.  This land was soon in use for those who did not use the Catholic Cemetery on Point Sal Road.  The two lodges shared expenses, record keeping, care of the grounds, and fee collection.  By 1918 lodge members were moving to larger lodges in Santa Maria, and by 1920 they turned the cemetery over to the County of Santa Barbara. Today, the grounds are maintained by a foreman and assistant, an office manager, and administered by a board of Trustees.

The Guadalupe Cemetery is a well-known landmark in the Central Coast. Publications have noted the  serene beauty of the cemetery, and visitors and photographers, both locally and from overseas, have admired the tall angel statues, small mausoleum,  baby markers, and unique Japanese markers. Now, a new flagpole dedicated in 2004 by American Legion Post 371 honors local veterans of all wars.