USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > Historical memoir of the Springfield cemetery, read to the proprietors at their meeting, May 23, 1857 > Part 1
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Bliss . Historical Memoir of the Springfield Cemetery . 1857
US 13459,10,100
VERI
TAS
HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY
HISTORICAL MEMOIR
SPRINGFIELD CEMETERY,
READ TO THE PROPRIETORS, AT TITRIR MEETING, MAY 1, 1557.
GEORGE BLISS, THEIR PRESIDENT
Acerspanied by an Andrew delivered at the Conservation of the Cemetery,
SEPTEMBER 5: 1841,
REV. WM. R. O. PEABODY.
SPRINGFIRMAY, MASS. BAQUET BOWLES AND DUMPANY, PEINTRES 1857.
(o.)
HISTORICAL MEMOIR
OF THE
SPRINGFIELD CEMETERY,
READ TO THE PROPRIETORS AT THEIR MEETING, MAY 28, 1857.
-BY-
GEORGE BLISS, THEIR PRESIDENT.
Accompanied by an Address delivered at the Consecration of the Cemetery, SEPTEMBER 5, 1841, -BI- REV. WM. B. O. PEABODY.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. SAMUEL BOWLES AND COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1857.
US 13459 103 LLS 13459. 10-100 V HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY 1857 Dec 28 by mail
SPRINGFIELD CEMETERY.
TO THE PROPRIETORS OF THE SPRINGFIELD CEMETERY :- .
THE Cemetery established and sustained with varying fortunes through a period of sixteen years, has become an institution of such absorbing interest and attachment to all our local population, that it is deemed proper to embrace the present occasion of your annual meeting to submit a brief memoir of its origin, progress and present condition. This is peculiarly appropriate now, as all the proposed purchases of territory have been made, the whole has been paid for, the association is out of debt, with a moderate surplus of funds, and the premises are all comparatively in good order.
ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION.
On the 4th of October, 1840, an informal meeting of a few gentlemen was held for consultation on the subject of a " Rural Cemetery." This resulted in the appointment of committees to select and report upon a suitable location, and to prepare a form of association. At a meeting on the 28th of March, 1841, upon the report of these committees, it was voted to purchase of Mr. Alexander Bliss the part of the present premises known as "Mar- tha's Dingle," being about twenty acres. Suitable access to the same was provided for, and measures taken for a legal organiza- tion. On May 6th, 1841, on the application of fourteen gentle- men, a warrant was issued by a magistrate for a legal meeting on the 9th.
4
At that meeting the present system of organization was per- fected-a board of seven trustees provided for and chosen-and the Rev. Wm. B. O. Peabody elected President, an office which he continued to hold until his death in 1847.
To insure success to the enterprise, a subscription was taken up for shares in the company, of $10 each, which, on the 1st of June, 1841, amounted to $3,070, the subscribers to be at liberty to take an interest in lots to be laid out, to the extent of their subscriptions. The work of laying out, grading, planting, orna- menting and fencing the grounds, was commenced, and has been constantly pursued to the present time. The grounds have been enlarged by several additions since the first purchase, and they now contain about thirty-five acres of land at a total cost of about $8,270 51; and they are believed to be ample for many genera- tions to come. They include a house and lot in Mulberry street, adjoining the Cemetery, purchased for $1,700, in 1848, for the use of the Superintendent-a part of which has been rented. A barn was erected near the house in 1849 for the purposes of the company, at a cost of about $600. A receiving tomb was con- structed in 1841, and being found too small, an addition of equal size has been recently made to it.
On the 5th day of September, 1841, the Cemetery was duly consecrated by religious services, and an appropriate address was delivered by the President, the Rev. Mr. Peabody.
On the 12th day of March, 1845, the trustees voted that it was expedient to build a gate-way according to a plan submitted by Mr. Peabody, and directed an estimate to be prepared. On the 26th of March, 1845, such an estimate was presented, and it was voted that the building of the gate-way be commenced under the superintendence of Messrs. Peabody, Eaton, G. Dwight, Brewer and Elwell. The work was prosecuted through that year, at great expense-the exact amount of which cannot well be ascer- tained ; and in June, 1846, a vote was passed that Mr. G. Dwight go on with the gate-way at an expense not exceeding $300. The structure was still unfinished ; and the funds of the company being needed for other and more pressing purposes, the work was
5
suspended, and it has thus remained to the present time. A con- tract has now been made to complete it by the 15th of June next, according to the original drawing by Sikes, for $160. From a cursory examination, it appears that the whole cost cannot be less than $2000 to $2,250. The trustees propose to cover it with suit- able ornamental vines when finished.
In 1848, an arrangement was made by the trustees with the First Parish in Springfield, who held the title of the principal part of the old burying grounds on the river, at the foot and each side of Elm street, to convey the same to the proprietors of the Cemetery, on condition of the careful disinterment of the remains of all persons buried there, and the removal of such as should not be claimed and removed by their friends, to a portion of the Cemetery, specially and exclusively set apart for them adjoining Pine street, and their re-interment-the old monuments to be erected to their appropriate remains. This service was performed during that year, in a manner satisfactory to all parties, and with the following results :-
The number of bodies then removed from the old North Burying ground, - -
- 1,624
From the South Burying ground, 810
Total, - - 2,434
Thirty of these were removed to other burying grounds; the residue were deposited in our Cemetery. Five hundred and seventeen old monuments and tablets were also removed. All remains having no monuments, and not recognized, were deposited together, and a common monument erected, designating the fact; the whole enclosure was surrounded by a hedge, and a monument, commemorative of these removals and re-interments, was erected near the eastern entrance on Pine street.
The whole expense attending this removal, was - - $1,625 33 To which add amounts paid for sundry private burial lots adjoining, not belonging to 1st Parish, 420 62
Total cost of the old grounds, - - $2,045 95
6
The lands of the old burying grounds were laid out into lots, and have now all been sold, and paid for from time to time :- Producing in the whole, - - $7,144 79
Deduct cost and expenses above, -
2,045 95
Net proceeds, - - $5,098 84
The whole number of lots in the Cemetery, sold in 16 years- up to May 1st, 1857, is 730. The whole number of burials is as follows :-
By sextons of different societies prior to the appointment of the Superintendent in 1842, say 12 00 Removals by the Hartford railroad company, on locating their road-and removals by friends prior to 1848, say - - 227 00 Removals by the Cemetery company in 1848, from the old grounds to their own premises, as before stated, - 2,404 00 Original burials by the Superintendent, from November 1842, to May 1, 1857, - 1,570 00
Total, - 4,213 00 Of this last number about 170 original burials were upon the common ground owned by the Cemetery company, being princi- pally paupers and strangers.
FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT.
Since June, 1841, there have been received by the treasurer to May 1st, 1857 :-
From subscriptions and sales of lots as per annual statements
annexed, "A,"
-
$19,552 65
From Fairs and a Concert,
2,440 47
From labor by the Superintendent for sundry owners of lots -attending funerals, use of tomb and burials, - 6,369 71
From rents,
1,152 38
From sales of lands of the old burying ground, $7,144 79. Less paid expenses of removals and cost of private lots,
2,045 95 - 5,098 84
Sundry miscellaneous sources,
100 50
Total,
- - $34,714 55
7
The payments have been as follows :-
For purchases of lands for the Cemetery from time to time as per the annexed schedule marked " B," -
- $8,270 51 For labor and sundry expenses of laying out, grading, pre- paring and ornamenting the grounds, building fences, . drains, paths, a tomb, gateway, salaries of treasurer and other incidental expenses for sixteen years, and includ- ing interest, 25,037 54
Leaving a balance in the treasury May 4th, as per treasurer's report of that date, of 1,406 50
Total, - - $34,714 55 This is exclusive of receipts and payments on account of moneys borrowed. There are no debts outstanding, and no claims against the company unpaid.
I take great pleasure in congratulating the proprietors upon the eminent success which has thus far attended this enterprise-the entire prosperity of every department of their business, and the flattering prospects for the future. It is the purpose of the Presi- dent and trustees to grade and prepare for sale, lots in different parts of the Cemetery as there shall be a demand for them, and gradually further to improve and ornament the grounds by the erection of more permanent fences, and the construction of du- rable sewers for temporary, insufficient ones, laid down in former years.
Among the purchases of lands, the proprietors will notice one of six and a half acres, called the Peach Orchard, being wholly plain land on the south side of the Cemetery. As this was the only direction in which it was supposed the grounds could be en- larged at any future time, the trustees improved the opportunity to secure this tract for future use, in case it should be needed. It is not designed to have any part of this lot used for burials for many years ; but the trustees intend to plant it with trees and shrubbery, from time to time, and to lay it out into drives and walks.
I cannot close this communication without stating that the friends of the late Rev. William B. O. Peabody-eminently the
8
founder and the constant and steadfast friend of this institution- propose to erect by subscription, in some prominent place in the Cemetery, a monument to his memory, which will be alike honorable to him, and a just appreciation on their part, of his character and services. And I beg leave to suggest, that the pro- prietors should, in token of their concurrence in so laudable an object, contribute something towards the erection of such a monument.
And in this connection it would be inexcusable not to acknowl- edge in grateful terms, the services of GEORGE EATON, Esq., of Boston, then a resident of Springfield, who devoted himself with untiring assiduity to the laying out, planting and ornamenting of the grounds. To the eminent taste and judgment of Mr. Eaton and Mr. Peabody are we mainly indebted for the great beauty of the drives and winding walks and fountains which elicit the ad- miration of all strangers, and constitute this Cemetery the pride of our citizens.
Nor should we omit to place on record for future reference, the name of APOLLOS MARSH, who has been the devoted Superinten- dent of the work and grounds from the commencement of the undertaking to the present time, to the entire acceptance of the proprietors and their officers.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE BLISS, PRESIDENT. May 23, 1857.
1
SCHEDULE A. Schedule of Annual Receipts from Subscriptions for Burial Lots and Sales of Lots.
For year ending May 1, 1842, principally subscriptions,
$3,457 60
1843, sales,
880 72
3
y
1844,
1,195 59
y 1845,
846 62
1846,
1,047 37
66
1847,
1,043 91
66
1848,
780 40
1849,
1,566 63
1850,
1,215 02
1851,
1,004 03
66
1852,
66
1,009 00
66
1853,
66
1,193 85
1854,
1,138 70
1855,
1,087 70
66
1856,
996 50
3
1857,
1,089 00
Total,
$19,552 64
SCHEDULE B.
Statement of Purchases of Lands of the Springfield Cemetery.
DATE OF PURCHASE.
NAME OF GRANTOR.
QUANTITY OF LAND.
PRICE PAID.
DESCRIPTION, &c.
1841, May 12. Alexander Bliss,
18
108
$1,548 55
Martha's Dingle.
Sept.
H. Adams, A. Bliss, Hills,
Parker and Springfield bank. [Entrance av.] (No. quantity given.)
80
259 00
Entrance Avenue.
" Sep. 21. 0. Burnham,
5
107
708 59
" Oct.
0. Burnham,
14
59 37
1844, Dec. 11. T. J. Shepard,
39
163 00
1845, July.
0. Burnham,
80
225 00
80
1846-8.
Bowdoin, Mills, Simons, Moore, Cooley,
50
185 00
1847, June 1. Thomas J. Shepard,
1
118
1,357 00
Straightening North line. Laundry Lot.
1850, Mar. 6.
Rumrill,
7
60 00
Straightening West line.
1849, Nov. 6. H. W. Adams,
6
80
2,000 00
Peach Orchard.
1849.
John Kilborn,
5 00
Straightening North East line.
Thomas Rogers,
42
1,700 00
Mulberry st. house and lot.
Total,
35
$8,270 51
2
1
AORES. RODS.
On South line of Dwight lot.
H. Sterns, (say)
.
CONDITIONS CONTAINED IN ALL DEEDS OF LOTS IN THE CEMETERY.
FIRST, That the said lot of land shall not be used for any other purpose than as a place of burial for the dead ; and no trees within the lot, or border, shall be cut down, trimmed, or destroyed, without the consent of the Trustees of the said Corporation.
SECOND, That the proprietor of the said lot shall have the right to erect stones, monuments or sepulchral structures, and to cultivate trees, shrubs and plants in the same.
THIRD, The proprietor of the said lot of land shall erect thereon, at his or her own expense, a monument of stone, to be provided by said Trustees, with the number thereof legibly and permanently marked thereon And if the said proprietor shall omit, for thirty days after notice, to erect such monu- ment, and mark the number, the Trustees shall have authority to cause the same to be done at the expense of the said proprietor.
FOURTH, That if any trees or shrubs situated in said lot of land, shall, by means of their roots, branches, or otherwise, become detrimental to the ad- jacent lots or avenues, or dangerous or inconvenient to passengers, it shall be the duty of the said Trustees for the time being, and they shall have the right to enter into the said lot and remove the said trees and shrubs, or such parts thereof as are thus detrimental, dangerous, or inconvenient.
FIFTH, That if any monument, or effigy, or any structure whatever, or any inscription be placed in or upon the said land, which shall be determined by the major part of the said Trustees for the time being, to be offensive or im- proper, the said Trustees, or the major part of them, shall have the right, and it shall be their duty, to enter upon said land, and remove the said offensive or improper object or objects.
SIXTH, No fence shall from time to time, or at any time, be placed or erected in or around the said lot, the materials and design of which shall not first have been approved by the Trustees, or a committee of them.
SEVENTH, No tomb shall be constructed within the bounds of the Ceme- tery, except in or upon the lots situated in such parts of the grounds, as shall be designated by the Trustees for that purpose; and no proprietor shall suffer the remains of any person to be deposited in a tomb so authorized, for hire.
EIGHTH, The Trustees may at any time enter upon said lot to keep the same neat, and clear off the grass and weeds therefrom and appropriate the said grass and weeds to their own use.
NINTH, The said lot of land shall be holden subject to the provisions con- tained in the By-Laws of the proprietors of said Cemetery, heretofore estab. lished, or which may be hereafter established by them.
0
APPENDIX.
ADDRESS OF REV. W. B. O. PEABODY AT THE CONSECRA- TION OF THE CEMETERY, SEPTEMBER 5TH, 1841.
WE have long been endeavoring to secure a fit resting place for our dead. And now, having succeeded in this enterprise-having found a place, in every respect, grate- ful to our feelings we are come,-with solemn service, on the day of rest-to implore on our place of rest the blessing of our God.
When I saw this great audience just now, winding up through the glades of the Cemetery to take their places on this ground, I was deeply affected with the thought, how soon we shall take our places in the dust below. With this deep thought upon our minds with these hills and vallies around us-in presence of these venerable trees and these sparkling waters-with the green earth beneath, and God's own bright sky above us-I need not ask your attention-I need not labor to bring you to solemnity ; for I doubt not that a voice is now saying in every heart, "the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."
The feeling which leads us to respect the dead-the same feeling which brings us here to-day, is found in every age and country ; aye, in every man, who deserves the name
12
of man The rough soldier, at the grave of his comrade, feels this strong emotion, and becomes a better man for the time; the seaman, as he leans over the side of his vessel, to watch the plunge of his shipmate's corpse in the waters, becomes more thoughtful than ever he was before. And ye yourselves do know, that, in every funeral, where the dead lies out before the living, with an air of mysteri- ous reserve upon his brow-with an unsearchable depth of expression which no living eye can read-he is in- vested, for the time, with the stern majesty of death, and every heart does willing homage to his power.
Nor does this reverence cease when the dead are hidden from our eyes. It follows them to the grave, and makes us regard as sacred the place where we have laid them. The burial place is the favorite retreat of the thoughtful; it calms all troubled feelings-it is the place where many holy lives begin-where the unfortunate are most recon- ciled to this world, and the gay most concerned for the other. When our friends depart, we hang over these places with profound interest, because here it is that we lose them. Up to this place we can follow them, through all changes of joy and sorrow, of life and death. But " hitherto shalt thou come, and no farther " is written on the portal of the tomb. Here is the boundary, beyond which they cannot return-beyond which we cannot go. No wonder then that it chains attention; it is like the spot in the ocean, where we have seen some gallant ship go down.
And now I say, it is nature-that is-the God of nature, who inspires this feeling in the human breast. I have heard .some men say, that they care not what be- comes of their remains when they are gone. It may be
13
so-they may say so of themselves if they will. But if they say that they care not what becomes of the remains of their friends when they are gone, their hearts are not in the right place; I should doubt if they had friends-I should know that they did not deserve them. Indiffer- ence to these things is not natural to any good mind or heart. Nature says, "Bury me with my fathers." The feeling which nature dictates is, "that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and my mother."
It is true the soul is more than the body; the condition of the soul which has gone into eternity is infinitely more important than that of the tenement of clay which it leaves behind. But whoever truly cares for the one will also care for the other. Whoever follows with his heart the friend who has gone into eternity, will surely have some regard to the place where that friend's remains are laid. Why is the body cared for? Is it not because it has been for a time the dwelling of the soul ? This reason will be sufficient to keep any one who values the soul from treating it with the least disdain. Have you not known, how, when a friend departs, every thing that has been connected with him becomes consecrated in your eyes? The letters he wrote, the dress he wore, the books he read-every thing is a sacred memorial to the sur- viving. Surely then, the mortal frame which the soul has once illuminated with light and love-the mortal frame, where the soul has beamed from the eye, breathed from the lips, and shone like a glory on the brow,-surely the remains deserve to be treasured ; and I neither envy nor respect the man who can treat them with light regard.
Do you say that this feeling grows out of refinement ?
.
ยท
14
that it springs from cultivation, not from nature ? To this I have a reply. The land on which we dwell was pos- sessed by a different race two hundred years ago. There is reason to believe that their camps were stationed, and their council fires burned on a part of this very ground. That wild race was never equaled by any civilized people, in their attachment to the grave and the memory of their fathers. Was this refinement in them? Was it not rather a natural feeling, which all their barbarism had never been able to extinguish ?
Let me ask too, what portion of a civilized community manifest this feeling in its greatest strength ? Is it the re- fined as they are called ? or is it those who are more true to nature ? Who are they who make it so dangerous to violate the grave ? Let an insult be offered to the tomb, and all the roughest elements of the community are up in arms. They say that the living can protect them- selves; but they must guard the slumbers of the defence- less dead. So far from refinement being the parent of these feelings, it rather tends to weaken and destroy them. Silver and gold may be refined till they are fit for no use- ful purpose, and serve only for ornament and show; and so man may be refined till he becomes cold and heartless -till all generous impulses and affections forsake his breast forever.
But you ask, if this feeling is natural, why has it not done more to improve the outward aspect of the grave ? I answer, this is the province of taste; and it does not follow, that because the feeling of respect for the dead is strong, it shall manifest itself in this way; though, in com- ing days, there is encouragement to hope that it will. The proper taste has been inspired; it is spreading fast
15
and far; the time is not distant, when Mount Auburn, which for years was almost alone, will be the mother of a thousand fair cities of the dead. It is not so now. In most parts of our land, the burial place is another name for desolation. Its walls, if it has any, are broken down; its monuments are leaning with neglect, not with age-as if they were weary of bearing inscriptions which no one comes to read ; there is no relief to the eye but the rank grass in summer, and the aster and golden-rod in autumn, which nature spreads there as if in shame for the living and compassion for the dead. In such places, every one feels ashamed of his race; every one feels that the living are unjust and unworthy. Why, the very dog, who has been faithful to his master, deserves a more honored grave.
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