USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Roxbury > Forest Hills cemetery: its establishment, progress, scenery, monuments, etc. > Part 2
USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Forest Hills cemetery: its establishment, progress, scenery, monuments, etc > Part 2
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A conditional bargain was effected with Mr. Seaverns, and the committee agreed upon a report
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FOREST HILLS CEMETERY.
recommending that this tract, together with ad- joining land of Dr. John C. Warren, be purchased by the city for the purpose of converting it into a rural cemetery. As the measure was one of con- siderable importance, both in the cost of the land and the expense of laying it out, as well as in its probable results, it was desirable that it should not be adopted in haste, nor until there was some expression of public sentiment to sustain the views of the committee, and an interest awakened in the members of the city council which would secure a liberal and efficient action on their part. Before the report was submitted, therefore, the city government, with a large number of influen- tial and public spirited citizens, made a visit to the grounds, which were thoroughly explored, and the propriety of establishing such a cemetery there was freely discussed. The result of this visit seemed to be a general opinion in favor of the proposed measure, and many citizens expressed a desire to take lots in the contemplated cemetery. With such encouragement the report of the com- mittee, an able and elaborate one, prepared by General Dearborn, was submitted in the common council, September 6, 1847 .*
The report having been printed and circulated
* See Appendix, 2.
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ESTABLISHMENT AND PROGRESS.
among the inhabitants of Roxbury, the project met with very general approbation among that portion of the community who feel interested in such movements, and would be most likely to avail themselves of the opportunity to purchase lots in the proposed cemetery. This interest on the part of the influential leaders of public improvements served to confirm the hesitating in favor of the measure, by giving it the promise of success. But though a majority of the city council expressed themselves in favor of the establishment of a rural cemetery, yet, as might be expected in a matter of this kind, the measure met with some strenuous opposition from the over-cautious, calculating few, who are inclined to magnify the cost, rather than measure the benefits, of improvement. In this case, dollars were put in the scale against taste and sentiment, and utilitarian eyes must of course see the beam turn heavily and quickly in favor of the former. Such men, however, often serve to perfect what they cannot prevent, and it may have been so in this case. There was con- siderable diversity of opinion, even among those friendly to the measure, in relation to the manner in which it should be established and the details of its management. The delay caused by the op- position gave an opportunity to reconcile conflict- ing opinions in some degree, and to mature a
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satisfactory plan for the management of the cem- etery.
An order for the purchase of a portion of the Seaverns Farm, comprising about fifty-five acres, at three hundred and fifty dollars per acre, paya- ble in ten years, with interest, was adopted in the common council, Sept. 27, 1847, and was sent to the Mayor and Aldermen for their concurrence. It was in this board that the objections to the measure were most strongly urged, and it was de- layed here for some time. Indeed there was great danger that the project would entirely fail, as there was at first a decided majority against the order adopted by the common council. At this juncture, however, a public meeting of citizens in favor of the establishment of a rural cemetery was called, and was quite fully attended. Addresses were made by Gen. Dearborn and several other gentlemen of taste and influence, and the character of the meeting was such as to awaken a warm in- terest in the proposed work. A number of gen- tlemen subscribed for lots, and the probable suc- cess of the measure was made so manifest, that there was little excuse left for those who had urged their doubts on this score as a ground for opposition. Those who had opposed a rural cem- etery as unnecessary and had declared that the city ought to provide only a sufficient extent of
-
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earth to bury the dead - a mere Potter's Field - found themselves overruled by a more refined taste.
It only remained now to arrange some general plan for the management of the cemetery satisfac- tory to all parties, before the purchase was effect- ed. The order for the purchase was therefore amended so as to require application to the legis- lature for an amendment to the city charter, or a special act, authorising the city council to elect a Board of Commissioners who should have the sole management and control of the cemetery, and pro- viding that a portion of the grounds should be set apart for public burial, free of charge : that the proceeds of sales of lots should be appropriated to the liquidation of the debt incurred in the pur- chase of the land, and to the improvement and embellishment of the grounds : and that no moneys for such embellishment should be appropriated from the city treasury .* These provisions seemed satisfactory to all parties, the friends of the meas- ure being confident of such success that no assis- tance would be required from the city treasury, and its opponents feeling secure against any extravagance on the part of the city council for improving and beautifying the grounds. With
* See Appendix, 3.
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these amendments the order for the purchase of the Seaverns land, and the establishment of a ru- ral cemetery, was adopted by both boards of the city council, November 9th, 1847. The deed of the land was given on the 28th of the following March, 1848.
Application was made to the legislature, at its ensuing session, for an act which should embrace the provisions of the order above named and establish the cemetery in such a manner as might best insure a successful and stable management. An act was accordingly passed March 24, 1848. This act * provides for the choice of five commis- sioners to be elected by the city council and to hold their office for five years; after the first year one member being elected annually, in the month of March. This board of commissioners has the " sole care, superintendence and management " of the cemetery, the laying out and embellishment of the grounds, the conveyance of burial lots, and the establishing of such by-laws, rules and regulations as they may deem expedient. The act further provides that a portion of the cemetery shall be set apart as a public burial place for the use of the inhabitants of Roxbury, free of charge; and also that the proceeds of sales of lots and rights
* See Appendix, 4.
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of burial shall be appropriated " to the liquidation of the debt incurred in the purchase of the land and to the improvement and embellishment there- of;" and it forbids the appropriation of any moneys from the city treasury for such improve- ment and embellishment.
The act was accepted by the city council soon after its passage, and on the 30th of March, 1848, the following gentlemen were elected commission- ers, their respective terms of office being deter- mined by the order in which they were chosen, according to a provision of the act: Hon. Henry A. S. Dearborn, Alvah Kittredge, Francis C. Head, Henry Codman and George R. Russell, Esquires. These gentlemen accepted the office, and having organised by the choice of Gen. Dearborn as chairman, and Mr. Head as secretary, immediately entered upon their duties with much zeal and in- terest.
The work of laying out the grounds was assign- ed by common consent, as it would undoubtedly have been by the unanimous choice of those inter- ested, to Gen. Dearborn, whose efforts did much to secure the establishment of the cemetery, and whose skill and taste in rural art had developed the beauties of Mt. Auburn, and were universally acknowledged. He undertook the work with a zealous interest, and that delight in nature which
C
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made it more of a pleasure than a task. He de- voted to it time and toil; studied the character of the ground, explored every part of it, made himself familiar with all its beauties and capabili- ties, observed each rock and tree and shrub, as well as each hill and slope and opening vista, and then traced out the avenues and paths so as to re- veal those beauties and to prepare a garden where the living might well choose a resting place for their dead.
Gen. Dearborn found an able assistant in the intelligent and active superintendent, Mr. Daniel Brims. Thoroughly educated as a gardener in Scotland, of which country he is a native, he was well qualified for the situation, and the commis- sioners were fortunate in securing his services. A practical man and a man of taste, he from the first showed an appreciation of the ideas and in- tentions of Gen. Dearborn, and an ability to carry them into effect. Many of the rural embellish- ments are the result of his taste and skill, and the thoroughness of the work in the construction of avenues and paths, the preparation of the borders and the cultivation of trees, shrubs and plants, are in a great degree attributable to his thorough knowledge of his business, judgment and good taste.
When the land was purchased of Mr. Seaverns,
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ESTABLISHMENT AND PROGRESS.
it was intended that the principal entrance to the cemetery should be on the southern side, from Walk Hill street, through land belonging to Dr. John C. Warren, over which there was a right of way appurtenant to the estate purchased by the city. In order to have an entrance adapted to a place of this character, it was necessary to have the whole or a part of the land of Dr. Warren, and efforts were made to secure it. It was found, however, that there were serious obstacles in the way of a purchase of this estate, and all that could be obtained was a passage-way thirty-three feet wide which was granted by the proprietor in lieu of the casement already possessed. As this alone would have been but poorly adapted for a main entrance to the cemetery, an attempt was next made to obtain land adjoining the passage-way, be- longing to another party. Here, too, it was found impossible to purchase, and the commissioners then turned their attention to lands on the north- ern side of the tract purchased, with a view of obtaining, if possible, an entrance from one of the streets on that side. They found that this plan was feasible, and as there might be added to the cemetery several acres of land valuable for such a purpose, desirable also. The subject was brought before the city council, who, with a desire to per- fect the work so well begun, on the 26th of June,
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1848, authorised the purchase of about fourteen and a half acres of land belonging to John Park- inson, Esq., for the sum of $7,949.68 .* With this addition, the cemetery contained a little more than seventy-one acres, and the cost of the land was $27,894.66.
It may be considered rather a fortunate circum- stance that the Warren lot could not be purchased, and especially that the land adjoining the passage- way could not be obtained at that time. For had either of these lots been purchased the main en- trance to the cemetery would have been on that side, in a less favorable and accessible situation than the present, and much less convenient to the great majority of the proprietors of lots. It is quite probable, however, that even had the princi- pal entrance been opened on that side, the land on the northern side might at some time have been purchased.
This last purchase did not bring the cemetery grounds directly upon any street; but by the lib- erality of the adjoining land holders, the commis- sioners were enabled to open a broad avenue from Scarboro' street to the north-western part of the cemetery, where they established the main entrance.
* See Appendix, 3.
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ESTABLISHMENT AND PROGRESS.
After the acquisition of this land the work of preparing the grounds proceeded rapidly. The whole ground was enclosed by a wooden fence, and the principal avenues and paths laid out and partially constructed to make ready for the conse- cration. An imposing Egyptian gateway was crected at the main entrance, and more simple ones at the southern and eastern entrances. The large gateway is of wood, painted and sanded in imitation of the Jersey sandstone, from which more durable material, or from granite, it is intended at some future time to construct a gateway of the same model. The present structure is built in a substantial manner for a wooden one, and its architectural ornaments are well wrought.
It was desirable that the preparation of the grounds should be sufficiently advanced to dispose of lots as early in the season as possible, and in the space of two months very much had been ac- complished towards transforming the grounds from the natural state in which they were when purchased, to a condition adapted to the purposes for which they were intended. The work was commenced on the 25th of April, and it was suffi- ciently advanced for the consecration of the cem- etery on the 28th of June. Several hundred burial lots were laid out, and the choice of lots was offered to subscribers at this time. An c*
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account of the consecration, with the appropriate services on the occasion, will be found in another chapter.
The name of "FOREST HILLS" was selected by the commissioners, from a number which were proposed, as the most appropriate and harmoni- ous. This name was subsequently in a more for- mal manner given, by an ordinance of the city .*
The first purchase of the Seaverns land com- prised but a portion of the cultivated part of the farm, and gave a comparatively narrow front on Canterbury street; and the land was not of such a form as to be laid out with advantage and beau- ty. The commissioners feeling the importance of obtaining more land in this direction, both on ac- count of a prospective want of a greater extent of grounds and for the sake of making the form of the cemetery more regular and available, as well as for various minor and temporary advan- tages which would be derived from such an addi- tion, made efforts to purchase the remainder of the farm of Mr. Seaverns. Having finally ob- tained from that gentleman an offer of the land at a price which was satisfactory to them, they brought the subject before the city council. The expediency of this addition to the cemetery was
* See Appendix, 5.
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ESTABLISHMENT AND PROGRESS.
admitted by the city council, and with but one dis- senting voice an order for the purchase of the land passed both boards, Sept. 27, 1852 .* The area of the land in this purchase was about thirty-two and a half acres, making the whole extent of the cemetery grounds one hundred and four acres, one quarter and six rods. By this addition the front on Canterbury street is much extended, and the outline of the cemetery is more regular. It affords some very material advantages in laying out the grounds, especially by the enlargement of Lake Hibiscus, and the extension of avenues about it, while it also adds a large extent of land which will in time become one of the most beautiful and attractive parts of the cemetery. The house and buildings on this tract were desirable acquisitions to the commissioners and the superintendent in carrying on the work.
The eastern portion of the cemetery was for- merly under cultivation, being one of the neat and well cultivated farms of "Canterbury," as that part of the town was called. It was destitute of trees, for the most part, but in other respects was well adapted to cemetery purposes. Though there would be no necessity for using this part of the
* See Appendix, 3.
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grounds for many years, it was desirable that trees should be planted so as to attain a fair growth by the time when it should be required for use. This work was early commenced on a considerable part of the open grounds, and in the course of a few years it will be beautifully shaded. Besides the many trees which will for a long time be required for planting in this section of the grounds, there is a constant want of young trees to embellish the finished and wooded parts of the cemetery, to replace such as have necessarily been removed, or to fill some open space. In order to afford a constant and ready supply of the most desirable trees and shrubs, nurseries were estab- lished in the open grounds near the pond, where a large number of the choicest varieties of orna- mental trees have been planted. From seeds sown the first year of the existence of the ceme- tery upwards of ten thousand trees, oaks, chest- nuts, elms, ashes, walnuts and other varieties were transplanted in 1850. Since the first year many more seeds of these and other varieties of trees have been planted, and in sufficient quantity to supply many thousands of trees. Many of these trees have been removed to the borders, and a constant supply is now furnished by these nurse- ries for all the wants of the cemetery. In addi- tion to the trees raised from the seed, upwards of
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ESTABLISHMENT AND PROGRESS.
twenty thousand European trees have been im- ported and successfully transplanted. These trees embrace most of the hardy and more beautiful trees, which will flourish well in our climate ; among them are some of the less common varie- ties, and some trees of rare beauty ; the purple beech is already scattered over the cemetery, and when the trees have attained a larger growth will afford a striking and pleasing contrast amid the lighter foliage of other trees. This supply of trees in great variety, the cemetery containing all the varieties of trees native in this soil and cli- mate, together with many varieties of foreign origin, will make the grounds to some extent an arboreum, and will give it a more varied and beautiful appearance than if it were wooded only by the indigenous varieties.
The avenues and paths* traverse every part of the ground available for cemetery purposes, and are so laid out that each burial lot will be acces- sible directly from some main avenue or path, without crossing or passing around any other lot. The size of an ordinary burial lot is fifteen feet wide and twenty feet deep, making the area three hundred square feet. Larger lots than these can
* See Appendix, 13.
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be had, however, and in some places they are necessarily so laid out. Many extra-sized lots have been taken in different parts of the cemetery, the price being proportionally larger; some of them contain from two thousand to four thousand square feet. Smaller lots can also be found in various parts of the cemetery, and in the valley, north of Lake Hibiscus, on the ground that slopes up on the eastern side, there are a large number of small lots which are sold at lower prices, for the convenience of those who do not desire, or cannot afford, a lot of the ordinary size.
Between the lots are spaces six feet wide, and between the avenues or paths and the lots are spaces of the same width, which are prepared as borders for trees, shrubs and flowers. In the angles formed by the junction of the avenues and paths, where the space is too narrow, or not adapted, for burial lots, the borders are enlarged, and embellished with numerous flowering shrubs and plants, giving the cemetery the finished beauty of the garden. These borders are cultivated un- der the direction of the superintendent, at the ex- pense of the cemetery, but the proprietors can have additional trees or plants about their lots if they desire it, at their own expense.
Each lot, before being graded and embellished, or enclosed, is trenched to the depth of six feet,
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ESTABLISHMENT AND PROGRESS.
and all the large rocks or roots which might ob- struct the digging for the purpose of burial are removed. In some parts of the cemetery the rocky formation has made this a difficult and ex- pensive work. The materials removed, however, have been very useful in the construction of the avenues and paths. This thorough mode of pre- paring the lots, as well as the manner of construct- ing the paths, makes this cemetery superior in many repects to most others. Nearly all the avenues and paths are excavated and filled in with stone and gravel, which render them hard, dry and durable .* The trenching of the lots and borders gives a deeper soil and conduces to the more rapid and luxuriant growth of the trees which are planted about them. As each lot is graded, granite posts are set to mark the bounda- ries and to support the enclosing fences whenever they may be erected.
On the southern border of the cemetery is a large lot in which one or more graves can be pur-
* In order to have an abundant supply of material beyond what is afforded by the cemetery itself, a piece of land on Bourne street, south of the cemetery, comprising about two acres, was purchased by the city at the desire of the com- missioners, in 1855, for the sum of $600. This land affords an ample supply of gravel and sand for the various wants of the cemetery.
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chased by such persons as do not require or de- sire a lot of the usual size. This lot is bounded on two sides by the boundary of the cemetery, and is enclosed with an arbor vitæ hedge on its other two sides. It is laid out in regular paths, with borders for the cultivation of trees and plants, many of which have been planted here. This lot is sufficiently large to contain seven or eight hundred graves, with ample space for the flower borders and trees. Many graves have been already sold in this place, and possessing as it does many of the beauties and embellishments of the private lots, it meets a want in the community by enabling persons of limited means to obtain a sa- cred and beautiful spot in which to bury their dead. This place is called the "FIELD OF MACHPELAH," after the name of the field which was granted to Abraham for a burial-place for Sarah, his wife .* As they are required, similar lots will be laid out in other parts of the cemetery. It is proposed to have one appropriated exclusively to the burial of children. Such a lot would be an interesting spot, full of touching associations.
Comparatively few tombs have as yet been con- structed at Forest Hills, most of the proprietors preferring the more simple and appropriate mode
* Genesis, chap. 23.
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ESTABLISHMENT AND PROGRESS.
of burial in graves. The eye does not here meet at every turn the entrances to tombs, opening upon the paths or avenues, which, however costly some of them may be, too often disfigure our rural cemeteries. The commissioners have rather discouraged the construction of tombs, and one of the restrictions contained in the deeds of burial lots is, that "no tomb shall be constructed or al- lowed within the bounds of the cemetery, unless by special permission of the said Board of Com- missioners, and in such places and in such manner as the Commissioners shall direct." Permission for tombs is not refused when the lot is adapted to the purpose, but the commissioners at an early day recommended that they should be constructed only in level situations ; and they prescribed also that they should be built so as to have no opening on any avenue or path, but that the door should be on the top and horizontal, and that the top of the tomb should be covered with earth to the depth of at least two feet. This mode of con- struction leaves the lot in appearance similar to those without tombs, in a condition to be orna- mented with shrubs and flowers, or to receive a monument more tasteful and interesting than the fronts of those tombs which have been objected to. All the tombs at Forest Hills have been con- structed in the manner prescribed, with one ex-
D
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ception, and that was built the first year and before the commissioners had fully established their regulations. That tomb still remains naked and unadorned, and by its very repulsiveness has at least shown the good taste which governed the commissioners in prescribing the other mode of construction. In many lots, instead of tombs, catacombs, or brick graves covered with stone slabs, have been constructed when the lots were trenched and graded. These are altogether be- low the surface, and by many are considered to possess the advantages, without the objectionable features, of the tomb.
The original price of a lot, of three hundred square feet, without being in any way prepared, was fifty dollars; but upon payment previous to a certain date a reduction of ten per cent. was made to the early subscribers for lots. This price, for lots in their natural condition, was sub- sequently raised to sixty dollars, and again to seventy-five dollars, at which price it now remains. In some parts of the cemetery it was absolutely necessary to trench the lots in order to prepare them for use, and in all cases it was deemed advis- able, so that this was adopted as the regular mode of preparing lots. The expense of this work, of course, varied in the different parts of the ground.
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