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Subject: [Q-R] Mount Auburn Cemetery is Filled with History and NaturalBeauty
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2011 19:08:23 -0400 (EDT)

Travel Back in Time: Mount Auburn Cemetery is Filled with History and
Natural Beauty
The cemetery located in Watertown is a National Historical Landmark and is
the final resting place for some of Boston's most famous residents.

A visit to the _Mount Auburn Cemetery_
(http://watertown.patch.com/listings/mount-auburn-cemetery) takes visitors away from the hustle and bustle of
the 21st Century and into a hilly-green enclave, filled with some of the
area’s most historic figures.


Founded in 1831, the cemetery ­– which lies in both Watertown and
Cambridge – was named a National Historic Landmark in 2003.
Boston residents built the cemetery when burial space became scarce in the
city, and to provide a final resting place for their loved ones in a
natural setting.
Not only does Mount Auburn provide the final resting place for poet Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow, artist Winslow Homer, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge and
many more figures, it is also the first large-scale garden cemetery.
Getting around the cemetery is easy with a map, which can be purchased at
the gate for 50 cents. Some areas of the grounds are accessible by car –
just don’t park on the grass. Many other sections can only be reached on
footpaths, and some paved walks are closed to motor vehicles.
Longfellow’s grave, for instance, is a relatively short stroll from the
main gate up Indian Ridge Path. Handy signs tell you which path you are on.
Along with the graves of some of America’s finest authors, artist and
political figures, the cemetery features some picturesque lakes and other
features. The Mary Backer Eddy Monument stands over Halcyon Lake. A short
distance away is Auburn Lake with lovely trees and in the summer is partially
covered by lily pads.
If horticulture is more appealing than history, a map marking some of the
largest and most prominent trees in the cemetery can be purchased for a
small fee.
Trees and plant are marked with signs to let you know what species you are
looking at. That can come in handy, with more than 5,000 trees in the
cemetery.
You will encounter many birds, chipmunks and other wildlife while walking
among the trees, bushes and flowers.
Architectural gems also dot the cemetery. The Egyptian Revival Gateway was
first built in 1832 and rebuilt in 1843. Story Chapel (dating back to 1898)
near the entrance, and Bigelow Chapel (built in 1840 and rebuilt in
1850s), a little farther in.
Toward the southern end of the cemetery stands Washington Tower, finished
in 1854, which rises above the trees and provides a view of the Boston area.
Sculptures adorn many of the graves, and a sphinx – which is a Civil War
monument – sits near the Bigelow Chapel.
Admission to Mount Auburn Cemetery is free, which is good because it will
likely take more than one visit to explore the 175-acre grounds. In a few
hours we covered only about a quarter of the cemetery.
The cemetery is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May to September and 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. from October to April.

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