Preservation guidelines for municipally owned historic burial grounds and cemeteries

348 Pages·2002·21.5 MB·English

by  Massachusetts. Dept. of Environmental Management. Historic Cemeteries Preservation Initiative

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PRESERVATION GUIDELINES
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FOR MUNICIPALLY
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GROUNDS AND
HISTORIC BURIAL CEMETERIES
SECOND EDITION
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
HISTORIC CEMETERIES PRESERVATION INITIATIVE
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Jane Swift, Governor
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Bob Durand, Secretary
Department of Environmental Management
Peter C. Webber, Commissioner
Division of Resource Conservation
Susan Frechette, Deputy Commissioner
Office of Historic Resources
Patrice Kish, Director
Historic Landscape Preservation GrantProgram
Joanna Doherty, Program Manager
Tim Orwig, Program Intern
Cover Illustration: Steel engraving of "The First edition recipient of:
Burial Hill" from The Pilgrim Fathers by William HonorAward for Landscape Planning,
H. Bartlett, London 1854 [Boston Public Library/ American Society ofLandscape Architects,
Rare Books Department, Courtesy ofthe Trustees] 2000
June 2002, Second Edition, MeritAward for Landscape Planning,
Expanded and Revised Boston Society ofLandscape Architects, 2000
PRESERVATION GUIDELINES
OWNED
FOR MUNICIPALLY
GROUNDS AND
HISTORIC BURIAL CEMETERIES
SECOND EDITION
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
HISTORIC CEMETERIES PRESERVATION INITIATIVE
WALKER-KLUESING DESIGN GROUP
SARA CHASE JOYCE CLEMENTS CANDACE JENKINS
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jane Swift, Governor
utive Office of Environmental
Durand, Secretary
irtment of Environmental Management
Webber, Commissioner
n of Resource Conservation
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Grant Program
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FOREWORD
OnbehalfofGovernorJaneSwift,itiswithgreat The first edition of Preservation Guidelines The second edition of Preservation Guidelines
pleasure that we present the second edition of received an overwhelming and positive reflects the continued efforts of the Executive
Preservation Guidelines for Municipally Owned response, earning an Honor Award from the Office ofEnvironmental Affairs to preserve and
HistoricBurialGroundsandCemeteries. Thisreport American Society of Landscape Architects. In protectthefullrangeoflandscaperesourcesthat
summarizes the findings of the Massachusetts addition, cities and towns across Massachusetts define the unique character of each of our
Cemetery Preservation Initiative, a unique tookimmediateaction, seekinggrantsandusing communities. DEM's Office of Historic
technicalassistanceprojectbegunin1999aspart scarce municipal dollars to draw up Resources, in collaboration with the
of the Department of Environmental comprehensive plans and address their most MassachusettsHistoricalCommission,managed
Management's (DEM's) Historic Landscape pressing needs. As word spread, many people theproject. The StatewideAdvisoryCommittee
Preservation Grant Program. Recognizing that requested copies of the guidelines, and the first ofDEM'sHistoricLandscapePreservationGrant
historic burial grounds not only connect printing was quickly depleted. DEM took the Program provided valuable guidance and
communities to their past, but also serve as opportunity to refine and expand Preservation oversight to the project. Our appreciation goes
critical open space, the initiative was designed Guidelines, incorporatingninemorecasestudies, to Walker-Kluesing Design Group for their
to provide municipalities across the bringing the total to 32 sites in 29 communities. successful implementation of the Cemetery
Commonwealth with tools to preserve these The second edition of Preservation Guidelines PreservationInitiativeandtheproductionofthis
valuable resources. includes historicburial grounds and cemeteries report. Most importantly, we thank the
foundedbetween1642and 1890,incommunities municipal partners - staff and volunteers -
Preservation Guidelines addresses the complex ranging from Worthington and New whoseassistanceanddedicationhavemadethis
challenges facing historic burial grounds, MarlboroughinthewesttoRockportandTisbury project possible.
including deteriorating headstones and on theAtlantic coast.
monuments, failing walls and walkways, aging
and hazardous trees, and concerns with access ^
and security. The first edition of Preservation
GuidelineswasreleasedinMay2000, asDEMand
the Friends of Hope Cemetery in Worcester
hosted a daylong cemetery preservation Bob Durand, Secretary
workshopthatwasattendedbyover150people, Executive Office ofEnvironmentalAffairs
including cemetery commissioners, local
historical commission members, preservation
professionals and dedicated volunteers.
Peter C. Webber, Commissioner
Department of Environmental Management

Memorial entrancegate
Riverview Cemetery, Groveland
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION HISTORICALBACKGROUND ON BURIAL GENERALRECOMMENDATIONS
1
Significance ofHistoric Burial Grounds and GROUNDAND CEMETERYDEVELOPMENT PERTAINING TO MUNICIPAL HISTORIC
Cemeteries IN MASSACHUSETTS 5 BURIAL GROUNDAND CEMETERY
Massachusetts Historic Cemetery Preservation COMPONENTS 23
Initiative GUIDELINES FOR General
Purpose and Goals of the Preservation PRESERVATION PLANNING 13 Landscape Character and Vegetation
Guidelines Documentation Access and Security
Organization of the Document Evaluation Vandalism
Decision Making Circulation Systems and Materials
Grave Markers
Grave Marker Conservation and Repair
Structural Elements
Buildings
Fences and Gates
SiteAmenities
Utilities
A Concluding Cautionary Note
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES 73 APPENDIX
POLICY ISSUES Preface 74 Grave Marker Inventory 321
AND RECOMMENDATIONS 67 FirstBurial Ground, Woburn [1642] 75 Methodology
Administrative Management Vine Lake Cemetery, Medfield [1651] 83 Description of Inventory Form
Friends Groups and CitizenParticipation East ParishBurial Ground, Newton [1660] 93 Reverse ofInventory Form
Funding SpringHillCemetery, Marlborough [cl660] 103 Daily Work Schedule
Working with Volunteers Riverside Cemetery, Sunderland [1714] 111 Sample Forms
Resources Prospect Hill Cemetery, Millis [cl714] 117 Sample PermitApplication to Restore
Elm Street Cemetery, Braintree [1716] 127 and/or Reproduce Gravestones
MHC
Walnut Street Cemetery, Brookline [1717] 137 Sample Form E
Center Cemetery, Brimfield [1720] 149 Selected Bibliography 331
Old Burying Grounds, Littleton [1721] 155
Old Burial Ground, EastBridgewater
[cl724] 163
Old Parish Burying Ground, Rockport
[cl732] 171
Corbin Cemetery, Dudley [cl735] 179
Chocksett Cemetery, Sterling [1736] 187
Old Burial Ground, Sturbridge [cl740] 195
Old Cemetery, Spencer [1742] 203
Center Cemetery, Douglas [cl746] 211
New Marlborough Cemetery,
New Marlborough [1755] 219
Pope Cemetery, Peabody [1755] 227
High Street Cemetery, Danvers [1758] 233
Village Cemetery, Tisbury [cl770] 241
Center and Ringville Cemeteries,
Worthington [cl770] 249
Oak Ridge Cemetery, Southbridge [1801] 259
Roxanna C. Mye, Pocknett and
WilliamJones Burial Grounds,
Mashpee [cl800s] 271
Riverside Cemetery,
North Chelmsford [cl841] 279
Greenlawn Cemetery, Nahant [1858] 287
State Hospital Burial Ground,
Northampton [cl858] 295
Glenwood Cemetery, Maynard [1871] 301
Glenwood Cemetery, Everett [1890] 311
All of the contemporary photographs in this
publicationwereprovidedbyWalker-KluesingDesign
Group, except as otherwise noted.