HAVERHILL — Richard Becker, a trustee of the Hilldale Cemetery, said teenager Andrew Whittier never had authorization to do maintenance work at the graveyard off Hilldale Avenue.

"He went out on his own," Becker said. "He invaded the cemetery without authorization."

Becker's comments came after the cemetery's trustees ordered Whittier to stop doing volunteer cleanup work at the cemetery — surprising neighbors and visitors to the property who said Whittier did a good job there.

Whittier, who recently turned 18, said when Becker gave him permission to dump yard waste at the private cemetery, he assumed that was a sufficient OK to do community service work at the old graveyard. Earlier this year, Whittier did yard work at Becker's Hamilton Avenue home and he asked Becker where he could discard the waste.

When Whittier saw the condition of the cemetery during that visit, he was appalled and wanted to change it.

Becker's and Whittier's accounts agree up to this point. Becker told The Eagle-Tribune he did allow Whittier to dump leaves in the woods of the cemetery.

As to "authorization" to doing work at the cemetery, however, they differ. Becker said letting Whittier dump the yard waste there did not mean he could spend numerous hours at Hilldale cutting grass and weeds and removing trash.

On Oct. 6, Mayor James Fiorentini presented Whittier a beautification award for his work at the cemetery. In addition to the maintenance work, Whittier said he also chased away homeless people and others who had no business being there at night.

"The mayor never contacted the Hilldale trustees," Becker said, before presenting Whittier the award.

Neighbors have had positive things to say about Whittier's work at the cemetery, which some people have used as a dumping place.

Becker admitted the graveyard's appearance could stand improvement.

"We do the best we can," he said. He made it clear, however, that he does not want Whittier's help in improving the cemetery.

"He is not welcome at the cemetery," Becker said.

Becker, a longtime leader in the Boy Scouts in Haverhill, who has been honored for that work, said he and the other trustees are concerned about liability. He also said he did not like Whittier's habit of bringing in other volunteers to work there with him and that he cut down some trees without permission.

Whittier said he cut down two trees in order to block ATVs, which used to be driven through the cemetery. A few additional trees were felled by someone else, he said, perhaps to get back at him for obstructing the ATVs.

Asked if there is any way the matter could be resolved so Whittier might be allowed to continue his voluntary maintenance, Becker said that's not happening.

Whittier said he has not been able to get into the cemetery since Oct. 13, shortly after The Eagle-Tribune published an article about the mayor honoring Whittier for his efforts.

On that day, Whittier said, he discovered the lock on the gate at the cemetery had been changed. He said he had a trailer full of landscaping tools and five volunteers ready to go to work.

"I put my key in the lock and it didn't work," Whittier said. He then called Becker, he said, and asked, "Mr. Becker, is there any reason why the lock has been changed?"

Becker told him the trustees had a meeting and decided to "disqualify" him from the cemetery property and to change the lock on the front gate, said Whittier, who is a distant descendant of Haverhill poet John Greenleaf Whittier.

Whittier said he had bought the lock on the front gate and gave copies of the key to Becker and a caretaker who works there.

Back in mid-May, Whittier said that Becker told him, "You shouldn't be doing this," referring to his work at the cemetery. Becker said the trustees did not have the money to pay him.

"I'm doing it out of the goodness of my heart, I told him," said Whittier, who has repeatedly said he's not interested in getting paid for his efforts.

When Whittier was interviewed on Oct. 6, he told reporters that drug dealing and prostitution took place in the cemetery. He also said people used to drive ATVs through the graveyard.

Whittier wondered if that publicity might have irked Becker and the trustees.

"It seems that might be the case," he said.

During the months before the Oct. 6 presentation, "he (Becker) already knew I was working in the cemetery," Whittier said.

The Hilldale Cemetery is adjacent to a city-owned graveyard, where Whittier has also done maintenance work. Being barred from Hilldale will not affect his efforts in the city burial ground.

Whittier said he will continue cutting grass and removing trash from the city cemetery, but he would like to be able to resume what he was doing in Hilldale.

"That's my biggest concern," he said.