Bridge Street Cemetary Preservation Plan Application
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
Table of Contents
PROJECT APPLICATION COVER SHEET
Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................................ 1
1. PROJECT OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................. 2
2. COMMUNITY PRESERVATION CRITERIA .............................................................................................. 3
2.1. General Criteria for Project Evaluation ........................................................................................... 3
2.2. Historic Preservation Criteria for Project Evaluation ...................................................................... 5
3. PROJECT BUDGET ................................................................................................................................. 6
4. SCHEDULE ............................................................................................................................................. 6
APPENDIX A: MARTHA LYON LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE LLC PROPOSAL ............................................ 7
APPENDIX B: FIGURES ........................................................................................................................... 43
APPENDIX C: PHOTOGRAPHS ............................................................................................................... 47
APPENDIX D: LETTERS OF SUPPORT ...................................................................................................... 52
APPENDIX E: MASSACHUSETTS HISTRORIC REGISTER.......................................................................... 56
Table of Figures
Figure 1: USGS Locus .................................................................................................................................. 44
Figure 2: Aerial Photo ................................................................................................................................. 45
Figure 3: Historic Plan of the Cemetery ..................................................................................................... 46
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COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
1.PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Northampton Department of Public Works and the Northampton Ward 3 Neighborhood Association
are seeking a grant for the development of a Preservation Master Plan (Plan) for the Bridge Street
Cemetery (Cemetery). The Cemetery has been found by the Northampton Community Preservation
Committee to be eligible for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding in the category of historic
preservation and rehabilitation/restoration.
The Cemetery is located on Bridge Street (Route 9) between Parsons Street and Orchard Street (parcel
ID 25C-260-001) and is about 19 acres in size. Figures can be found in Appendix B. Figure 1 is a site
locus for the Cemetery. Figure 2 shows an aerial photograph of the park. An 1885 (updated in 1918)
plan of cemetery is included as Figure 3. Several photographs that document the current condition as
well as historical photographs are included in Appendix C.
The grant request for $36,900 would be for the purpose of contracting with Martha Lyon Landscape
Architecture, LLC (Lyon) to develop a Preservation Master Plan (Plan) to provide a multi-year program to
preserve and restore this important historic cemetery. The Lyon proposal is included with this grant in
Appendix A. This proposal describes their approach to the park restoration and highlights other
restoration projects, including cemeteries, that the firm has been involved with. It also in includes a
Scope of Work and Fee from the project. Lyon is being hired because of their level of expertise,
attention to historic detail, cemetery restoration experience, and their locality (office is on Elm Street in
Northampton). Lyon plans to works with landscape architecture students from Smith College as well.
The grant money would specifically be used to solicit community input regarding cemetery renovations,
completion of landscape, structural, gravestone, and historical assessment, and development of draft
and final preservation plans for the cemetery. The Plan will include recommendations for site
restoration as well as phasing and pricing for the anticipated multi-year project.
The feasibility of this project is good, pending adequate funding. The Department of Public Works
(owner of the cemetery), the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association (neighborhood residents), and the
architect have already met to discuss the project and are committed to identifying construction funding
through a combination of local funds and local/state grant opportunities. As noted above, the Master
Plan will recommend a phasing plan to make the project financially plausible. This project already has
community support from the residents of the Ward 3 neighborhood as well Historic Northampton.
Letters of support are included in Appendix D.
A Professional Engineer from the Department of Public works will manage the project from schematic
design through construction. The project will be designed by a team of Registered Landscape Architects
at:
Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC
313 Elm Street
Northampton, MA 01060
Lyon plans to works with landscape architecture students from Smith College as well.
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COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
Structural Engineering support for the Master Plan will be provided by Professional Engineers at:
CME Associates, Inc.
32 Crabtree Lane
P. O. Box 849
Woodstock, CT 06281
Monument assessment and restoration support for the Master Plan will be provided by:
Monument Conservation Collaborative
P. O. Box 541
Norfolk, CT 06058
These professionals well versed in cemetery restoration will follow professional station during the
design an
Guidelines for Treatment of Cultural Landscapes, and the standards of the American Institute for the
At this time it is assumed that construction inspection and oversight will be performed by Lyon,
supplemented by Public Works staff as needed, though this will be revisited at the time of construction
(the current proposal is for Master Preservation Plan work only). Over the long term, maintenance of
the Cemetery will continue to be the responsibility of the City, with maintenance activities performed by
the DPW.
2.COMMUNITY PRESERVATION CRITERIA
In this section of the application we discuss the renovations to Bridge Street Cemetery and how this
project meets CPA General Criteria for Project Evaluation and Historic Preservation Criteria. The criteria
from the City of Northampton Community Preservation Plan 2012-2014 are underlined below and a brief
description of how the proposed project meet the criteria follows.
2.1.General Criteria for Project Evaluation
1. Serves more than one CPA program area: The renovation of Bridge Street Cemetery serves the
Historic Preservation project area with the purpose of preservation and
rehabilitation/restoration. (does not apply, only one area)
2.osts the vitality of the
community, and enhances the quality of life for its residents: Bridge Street Cemetery is located
just outside of Downtown Northampton on Route 9 and is currently an overlooked historic gem
of the city. This cemetery is the oldest cemetery in the City and contains the graves of the
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COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
earliest settlers of Northampton along with notable historic members of the community.
Replacing/restoring damaged graves, installing a more time-period appropriate fence, and
updating the landscape of the site will invite residents and visitors to explore the rich history of
this cemetery and the City.
3.Addresses recommendations contained in the Sustainable Northampton comprehensive plan
and/or the Northampton Open Space, Recreation, and Mixed Use Trail Plan 2011-2018 or is
consistent with other city-wide planning efforts that have received broad-based scrutiny and
input and can demonstrate wide community support: The project has not been the subject of
any specific city-wide planning efforts and has not received broad-based scrutiny in that way.
The Cemetery is well-known in the community and the need for improvements is readily
apparent to all.
4.Saves resources that would otherwise be threatened: The project would look to preserve the
cemetery and the historic gravestones within. The cemetery is currently in disrepair and many
of the gravestones within are damaged. Overnight trespassing and vandalism threatens the
cemetery further. The architect will look into options to deter such activities as part of the
Master Plan.
5.Serves under-served populations: (does not apply)
6.Places high value on sustainable, ecologically responsible, energy-conserving structures,
locations, and materials; demonstrates that the project minimizes the ecological footprint: The
project seeks to conserve and improve the cemetery and all work taken in this regard will be
consistent with these preservation and improvement goals.
7.Receives endorsement by community groups, municipal boards, and/or department and City
residents: This project was brought to the Department of Public Works by the Ward 3
Neighborhood Association and has the support of the Department of Public Works. Support
letters for the restoration of Bridge Street Cemetery have been submitted by the Ward 3
Neighborhood Association and Historic Northampton and are included in Appendix D. As noted
in the letter of support from the Executive Director of Historic Northampton many visitors at
tery may draw new
visitors to the site and will give visitors a more authentic historical view of the site. Also, many
of the markers are badly damaged and replacing these markers will make it easier for visitors to
find specific graves they are seeking out.
8.Leverages additional public and/or private funds, or demonstrates that other funding sources
are not readily available: No other sources of funding are known for the preparation of this
conservation plan.
9.Demonstrates a high cost/benefit value: The Master Plan will create a plan for the preservation
of the cemetery including costs and phasing. Replacing the dilapidated chain link fence with a
more durable fence, repairing damaged gravestones, and enhancing the landscape of the area
will be considered. These improvements will hopefully lead to easier maintenance in the long
run.
10.Can be implemented expeditiously and within budget: The overall project will be managed by
the Northampton Department of Public Works including oversight of the project scope and
budget. A local (Elm St, Northampton), reputable firm, Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture,
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COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
LLC, who has considerable cemetery restoration experience and is invested in the community,
will be contracted to complete the project on the defined schedule for the contracted fee.
2.2.Historic Preservation Criteria for Project Evaluation
1.Protect, preserve, enhance, restore and/or rehabilitate properties, features or resources of
historical significance: The Bridge Street Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in the City of
residents. Within the cemetery are the graves of over 130 Revolutionary War soldiers and 200 Civil
War soldiers; Caleb Strong, Governor of Massachusetts; United States Senators Isaac Bates, Eli
Ashman, and Elijah Hunt Mills; Charles Forbes, founder of the Forbes Library; John Clarke, founder
of the Clarke School for the Deaf; and Sylvester Graham, originator of the graham cracker. The
project would look to preserve the cemetery and the historic gravestones within. The cemetery is
currently in disrepair and many of the gravestones within are damaged. Overnight trespassing and
vandalism threatens the cemetery further. The architect will look into options to deter such
activities as part of the Master Plan. Numerous stones within the cemetery were carved by
historically known carvers of the Connecticut River Valley. The design of the markers is indicative of
the time periods in which they were produced, spanning from the 17 th century to the 20 th century.
Additional information on carvers, graves, and other historic information are included in the
Massachusetts Historic Register. The inventory is included in Appendix E.
2.Include a focus on the historical function of a property or site: The Landscape Architect Mary Lyon
has considerable experience in cemetery restoration in New England. The Master Plan will include a
new fence (to replace the existing chain link fence) more indicative of the historical time period and
will include replacement and restoration of grave stones to a condition that is close to the original as
possible. The Master Plan includes historical research of the cemetery as seen
proposal enclosed in the Appendix A.
3.Demonstrate eligibility for a local, State, or National Historic Register listing, and support of the local
historic commission: The Bridge Street Cemetery is on the Massachusetts Historic Register. The
inventory is included in Appendix E.
4.Provide assurance of the ability to maintain the historic resource over the long term: The Master
Plan will include replacing the dilapidated chain link fence with a more durable fence, repairing
damaged gravestones, and enhancing the landscape of the area will be considered. These
improvements will hopefully lead to easier maintenance in the long run. The Department of Public
Works maintain and will continue to maintain the cemetery site.
5.Include the granting of permanent historic preservation restriction or other preservation guarantee:
The cemetery has long been owned, managed and maintained by the City as a cemetery.
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COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
3.PROJECT BUDGET
CPA funds for the project would be used to contract with Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture to
develop the Preservation Master Plan. The total budget for this grant is $36,900.
The project budget details are contained in the Lyon Proposal in Appendix A. The costs are summarized
below:
Phase 1: Start Up/Historical Research
Martha Lyon, Landscape Architect (Project Manager) $7,600
Phase 2: Assessment
Martha Lyon, Landscape Architect (Project Manager) $5,200
M. Peter Culmo, PE, CME Associates, Structural Engineer $4,500
(sub-consultant)
Irving Slavid, Monument Conservation Collaborative, $10,000
Stone Conservator (sub-consultant)
Subtotal $19,700
Phase 3: Recommendations
Martha Lyon, Landscape Architect (Project Manager) $3,600
Phase 4: Management
Martha Lyon, Landscape Architect (Project Manager) $2,000
Phase 5: Documentation
Martha Lyon, Landscape Architect (Project Manager) $4,000
TOTAL $36,900
The basis of the costs is explained further in the Lyon Proposal
4.SCHEDULE
The project will commence if and when a grant contract is signed. It is anticipated that work would
begin in January 2015 and would take about six months to complete.
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COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
APPENDIX A:MARTHA LYON LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE LLC
PROPOSAL
7
MARTHA LYON
August 25, 2014
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
James R. Laurila, P.E.
design
City Engineer
historic preservation
Department of Public Works
planning
125 Locust Street
Northampton, MA 01060
RE: Professional Services for the Bridge Street Cemetery
Dear Jim,
The following is a proposed scope of work and budget for completing a
comprehensive preservation plan for the landscape of the Bridge Street Cemetery,
located on Bridge and Parsons Streets in Northampton, Massachusetts. As noted
below, I plan to engage a team of professionals with whom I have worked in the
past to assist on the project, as well as students from the Landscape Studies
program at Smith College, led by Reid Bertone-Johnson. Collectively, we’re
pleased to have this opportunity to guide the long-term protection one of
Northampton’s most historic landscapes.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions about the proposal. I
look forward to working with you, the Board of Public Works, City staff,
members of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association, as well as Northampton’s
history and cemetery enthusiasts.
Sincerely,
Martha H. Lyon, ASLA, CLARB
Managing Principal
cc: Bob Reckman
313 Elm Street
Northampton, MA 01060
413-586-4178
413-584-6697 (fax)
mhl@marthalyon.com
Bridge Street Cemetery Preservation Plan
www.marthalyon.com
Page 1
MARTHA LYON
Project Team
The plan will be undertaken and completed by a team of professionals consisting
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
of:
Martha H. Lyon, ASLA, CLARB, Registered Landscape Architect
M. Peter Culmo, PE, Licensed Professional Engineer (structural)
Irving Slavid, Conservator, AIC Associate
Martha will serve as project manager, overseeing day-to-day work on the project,
conducting historical research, compiling maps, completing the overall landscape
assessment, overseeing public engagement, and writing the final plan. Assisting
Martha with the landscape assessment and recommendations will be Pete Culmo,
PE and Irving Slavid. Pete is a licensed professional engineer with over fifteen
years of experience in evaluating and restoring historic structures. He will be
responsible for inspecting the cemetery’s tombs and plot details. Irving is a
professional stone conservator with over twenty years of experience assessing and
treating historic monuments and markers. He will conduct the gravestone and
monument assessment. For more detailed information about this professional
team, refer to the qualifications appended to this scope and budget.
Smith College Involvement
The project team will work collaboratively with a group of students from the
Landscape Studies program of Smith College, led by faculty member Reid Bertone-
Johnson, ASLA. Specifically, students may assist with mapping the cemetery,
locating and identifying species of trees and shrubs, and assigning additional tasks,
if possible and where appropriate. Martha and Reid will determine the scope of
students’ involvement, once the project has been funded and is underway.
Scope of Work
All work will be performed in accordance with the United States Secretary of the Interior’s
Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, Guidelines for the Treatment of
Cultural Landscapes, and with the standards of American Institute for the Conservation of
Historic and Artistic Works.
Phase 1: Start Up & Historical Research
A. Start Up/Program Development.
Attend a start-up meeting with staff and/or
officials from the City of Northampton (including the Board of Public Works),
cemetery caretaker(s), and representatives of the Ward 3 Neighborhood
Association (referred to hereinafter as the “Committee”) to review the scope of
services, confirm the project schedule, and establish the project’s goals and
objectives, and identify the location of historical resources. Review existing
practices for cemetery care. Prepare a summary statement and submit to the
Committee.
B. Mapping.
Using existing data provided by the City of Northampton (i.e. GIS
data, existing cemetery maps), prepare a base map of the cemetery, including
Bridge Street Cemetery Preservation Plan
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MARTHA LYON
boundary, entrances, roads and paths, topography (if available), structures
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
(including tombs) significant trees, and other landscape features. Create the
map in AutoCAD format, so that it may be plotted at several scales, and so
that other information (such as locations of significant graves) can be added.
C. Historical Research/Period of Significance.
Research the historical
development of the cemetery landscape, consulting historical collections of the
City of Northampton, Northampton Historical Society, Forbes Library
(Hampshire Room staff), members of the Daughters of the American
Revolution (DAR), residents of Northampton knowledgeable about local
history, and others as identified by the Committee. Include in this research a
review of:
Written histories of Northampton;
Historical photographs (including aerial photos);
Historical maps;
Scrapbooks;
Oral histories (if appropriate);
City of Northampton Annual Reports;
Web-based data, as appropriate (such as Find-A-Grave.com); and
Other materials as suggested by the Committee.
Prepare an “historical chronology” of the cemetery, including a written and
graphic summary of its physical development, and a description of the “period
of significance.” Present the historical chronology to the Committee, and
revise as required.
1
D. Community Forum #1.
In the form of a participatory meeting, present the
preliminary program and historical research to primary stakeholders (e.g.
individuals with family members interred at the cemetery; veterans), and the
residents of Northampton. Summarize participants’ comments and submit to
the Committee.
Phase 2: Assessment
A. Landscape Assessment.
Using the survey map created during Phase 1, analyze
the condition of the cemetery’s landscape features, and make preliminary
recommendations for their treatment. Include in this assessment, a thorough
evaluation of the existing fence and access point(s) into the cemetery, as well as
the following:
Natural features (topography, trees and plant communities),
Built features (tombs and family plot details), and
Functional features (context, views, access, circulation).
Make preliminary treatment recommendations according to the US Secretary
of the Interior’s Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes, identifying:
1
The precise design of this community forum will be determined during and following the
start-up meeting (Task A).
Bridge Street Cemetery Preservation Plan
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MARTHA LYON
Areas for preservation, where existing form, integrity and materials of the
landscape should be sustained;
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Areas for rehabilitation, where features in the landscape should be repaired
or altered to make their use compatible with the property’s historical
value;
Areas for restoration, where landscape features should be returned to their
original form; and
Areas for reconstruction, where landscape features no longer extant should
be recreated.
B. Gravestone & Monument Assessment.
Conduct a visual, walk-through
inspection of all markers in the cemetery, and where necessary, make hands-on
inspections to verify conditions. Identify those gravestones and monuments
that are in need of conservation treatment, and assign a priority, based on
severity of condition and historical significance, to each marker needing
treatment.
C. Documentation & Review.
Prepare a written and illustrated (photographs,
maps, and other illustrations, as appropriate) compilation of the landscape
assessment, including the gravestone and monument assessment. Present the
assessments to the Committee, and revise as required.
Phase 3: Recommendations
A. Recommendations.
Based on the historical documentation and assessments
completed during the first phases of the project, develop a series of
recommendations for treating the landscape, gravestones and monuments.
The recommendations phase will result in:
Written and visual descriptions of recommendations;
Priorities for preservation treatment;
A plan for phasing the treatments over time; and
An opinion of cost for the treatments to be used for the purposes of
meeting fundraising goals.
B. Review.
Present the treatment recommendations to the Committee and revise
as required.
2
C. Community Forum #2.
In the form of a participatory meeting, present the
draft recommendations to the residents of Northampton. Summarize
participants’ comments and submit to the Committee. Revise the
recommendations based on these comments, as appropriate.
Phase 4: Management
2
The precise design of this community forum will be determined during and following the
start-up meeting (Phase 1, Task A).
Bridge Street Cemetery Preservation Plan
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MARTHA LYON
A. Management Recommendations
. Based on the recommendations prepared
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in Phase 3 of the project, establish a management philosophy and a prepare
plan for managing the landscape and features of the cemetery over time.
Include both short and long term strategies for tending:
Trees, shrubs, ground covers, and turf (including mowing techniques);
Monuments and markers;
Tombs and other structures.
B. Review.
Present the recommendations to the Committee, and revise the
management plan as required.
Phase 5: Documentation
A. Draft Bridge Street Cemetery Preservation Plan
. Compile all the material
completed and revised during the first four phases of the project into a final
plan. This plan will include:
A summary;
An introduction (including project background, goals and objectives);
The historical development of the cemetery;
The burial ground landscape assessment (landscape and gravestones);
Recommendations (including priorities, phasing and costs);
A plan for managing the cemetery landscape over time;
Recommendations for future research/studies/documentation; and
Appendices, as required.
Submit a draft plan at 90% completion to the Committee for review.
B. Final Bridge Street Preservation Plan.
Revised the 90% plan as required into
a 100% complete final document, and submit copies of the final document in
the following formats:
one (1) original unbound copy on archival quality paper
five (5) original bound copies of the plan on archival quality paper
three (3) copies in PDF format on archival quality DVDs.
Bridge Street Cemetery Preservation Plan
Page 5
BUDGET
The following budget includes all expenses related to the project, including costs of travel, phone/fax photocopying, printing. For
services above and beyond those included in the above scope of work, the team work hourly at the rates listed below.
Phase/Task MHL MPC MCC TOTAL
$100/Hour $225/Hour $125/Hour
Hours Fee Hours Fee Hours Fee
Phase 1: Start Up/Historical Research
A.Start Up/Program Development 4 400
B.Mapping 24 2,400
C.Historical Research 40 4,000
D.Community Forum #1 8 800
Total, Phase 1 76 7,600 $7.600.00
Phase 2: Assessment
A.Landscape Assessment 32 3,200
Structural Assessment 20 4,500
B.Gravestone Assessment 80 10,000
C.Documentation & Review 20 2,000
20
Total, Phase 2 52 5,200 4,500 80 10,000 $19,700.00
Phase 3: Recommendations
A.Recommendations 24 2,400
B.Review 4 400
C.Community Forum #2 8 800
Total, Phase 3 36 3,600 $3,600.00
Phase 4: Management
A.Management Recommendations 16 1,600
B.Review 4 400
Total, Phase 4 20 2,000 $2,000.00
Phase 5: Documentation
A.Draft Preservation Plan 32 3,200
B.Final Preservation Plan 8 800
Total Phase 5 40 4,000 $4,000.00
TOTAL 224 20 80 $36,900.00
MHL = Martha H. Lyon, ASLA, Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture – Project Manager/Landscape Architect
MPC = M. Peter Culmo, PE, CME Associates, Inc. – Structural Engineer
MCC = Irving Slavid, Monument Conservation Collaborative, LLC – Stone Conservator
Bridge Street Cemetery Preservation Plan
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MARTHA LYON
Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC is a certified woman-owned business
entity offering design, historic preservation and planning services to clients
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
throughout New England and New York State. The firm specializes in the
treatment of historic landscapes, and since its founding, has completed over 130
such projects. Included in these are work for the Emily Dickinson Homestead,
(Amherst, Massachusetts), Winthrop Street Cemetery, Town Green and Lopes
Square (Provincetown, Massachusetts), Maple Street Cemetery and Veterans’
Memorial Park (Adams, Massachusetts), North Park (Fall River, Massachusetts),
Pine Grove Cemetery, Valley Cemetery and Stark Park (Manchester, New
Hampshire), and the historic Warren and Polly Hull House (Lancaster, New
York). Clients have included state and municipal governments, as well as non-
profit organizations.
Managing principal Martha H. Lyon, ASLA, holds a master’s degree in landscape
architecture and is registered to practice landscape architecture in the States of
Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. She has published articles and
delivered lectures on historic landscapes, and is an adjunct professor of landscape
architecture at the University of Massachusetts.
Preparing hand-drawn illustrations of design concepts, while relying on
computer technology for drafting, desktop publishing, estimating and word
processing, Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC provides an array of
services, including research & writing, landscape assessment & planning, design,
construction documentation & observation, grant & proposal writing.
313 Elm Street
Northampton, MA 01060
413-586-4178
mhl@marthalyon.com
www.marthalyon.com
All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.
MARTHA LYON
AWARDS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Preservation Award
The Massachusetts Historical Commission for rehabilitation of the Provincetown
Public Library, 2012
Culture Award
The Gloucester (MA) Historical Commission for the First Parish Burial Ground
Preservation Plan, 2009
Historic Preservation Award
The Manchester (NH) Historic Association for preservation planning and
restoration of Stark Park, 2007
Historic Preservation Award
The Manchester (NH) Historic Association for the restoration of the Currier Gate
Environs at Valley Cemetery, 2005
Merit Award
The American Society of Landscape Architects Boston Chapter for the Nathaniel
Thayer Estate Preservation Plan, 2001 (Awarded to Ms. Lyon’s graduate studio in
Historic Preservation at the University of Massachusetts)
Merit Award
The American Society of Landscape Architects Boston Chapter for the Eastwood
Cemetery Preservation Plan, 1999 (awarded to Ms. Lyon’s graduate studio in Historic
Preservation at the University of Massachusetts)
Honor Award
The American Society of Landscape Architects Upstate New York Chapter for the
Eastern Gateway Canal Regional Plan, 1995 (with the LA group)
Outstanding Project
The American Planning Association Upstate New York Chapter for the Eastern
Gateway Canal Regional Plan, 1995 (with the LA group)
Merit Award
The American Society of Landscape Architects Upstate New York Chapter for the
Mount Hope Cemetery Space Utilization and Landscape Improvement Plan, 1995 (with
the LA group)
Place Award
First
American Society of Landscape Architects, Graduate Research Category for
Gardens of the Gullah: Domestic Landscapes of the South Carolina Sea Islands, 1993
MARTHA LYON
PUBLICATIONS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Publications authored by Martha H. Lyon, ASLA
“Uncovering an American Story, Preserving the Vernacular Landscape of Edward
Dickinson,” Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook, 2013
“Provincetown - Accessibility on the Green,” Massachusetts Department of
Conservation and Recreation, Terra Firm, Common Wealth: The Past and Future of
Town Commons, 2008
“Saving the Face of Valley Cemetery,” Granite State Landscape Architects, NH Forum,
May 2007
“Commemorative Landscapes: Burying Grounds & Cemeteries in New England,”
Maine Olmsted Alliance for Parks and Landscapes Journal, Summer 2005
“Vernacular Cemeteries and the Maple Street Cemetery of Adams, Massachusetts,”
Maine Olmsted Alliance for Parks and Landscapes Journal, Summer 2005
“The Legacy of Warren Manning,” Maine Olmsted Alliance for Parks and Landscapes
Journal, Summer 2004
“A Plan for Renewal at Mount Hope Cemetery,” Land and History, The Newsletter of
the American Society of Landscape Architects Historic Preservation Open Committee,
Fall 1996
“A Plan for Renewal at Mount Hope Cemetery,” Upstate Landscapes, Winter 1996
(re-printed from Land and History, above)
Department of Veterans Affairs, Saratoga National Cemetery, United States
Department of Veterans Affairs, 1996 (with the LA group)
“Upstate Landscapes: Our Choices for Summer Visits,” Upstate Landscapes,
Summer 1995 (editor & writer)
“Mount Hope Cemetery: A Plan to Revivify a Tarnished Treasure in Rochester,
NY,” The American Cemetery, February 1995
“A Tulip Tree in the Hemlock Grove,” Upstate Landscapes, Winter 1994
“The Voice of the Vernacular Landscape,” Upstate Landscapes, Fall 1993
Gardens of the Gullah: Domestic Landscapes of the South Carolina Sea Islands, 1993
MARTHA LYON
WINTHROP STREET CEMETERY
Preservation & Management Plan
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Provincetown, Massachusetts
2001-2003
Wedged between two narrow streets on Provincetown's West Side, the Winthrop
Street Cemetery is the town's oldest burying ground, dating to the early 1700's.
Early graves include men lost at sea and the town's first settlers, spread over a high
dune and flat, sandy plain. In 2001, trees and understory grew out of control,
obscuring the plots and markers, and a high chainlink fence prohibited public
access.
Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture's plan for preserving and maintaining the
cemetery included removing the overgrown vegetation, restoring the dune and
drawing attention to the many historic features. Two new entrances provide
prominent points of arrival, and a new "Meeting House Park" -- at the site of
Provincetown's first meeting house -- offers a spot for visitors to rest. A granite
post and steel rail perimeter fence places a finishing touch on this remarkable
landscape.
MARTHA LYON
CHURCH on the HILL BURYING GROUND
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Preservation Master Plan
Lenox, Massachusetts
2012
Church on the Hill Burying Ground dates to the mid-18th century and the earli-
est days of settlement in the Town of Lenox. Located at the northern end of the
village atop a steep include, the burying ground and adjacent church appear as
sentries, watching over the town below. The burying ground is the oldest known
public place of interment in Lenox, holding the remains of some of the first set-
tlers and builders of this rural Berkshire community.
In the late 1990s, concern emerged regarding the long-term health of the bury-
ing ground. Despite earning a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in
1981, the property's physical condition had seriously declined. In 2012, the Lenox
Historical Commission commissioned Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC
and Monument Conservation Collaborative, LLC to prepare a preservation plan
for the burying ground. Content included historical research and documentation,
landscape assessment, and recommendations for treating the 240-year-old historic
site. In 2013, Lenox's Community Preservation Committee awarded funds for the
first phase of implementation, conservation of the burying ground's most hazard-
ous gravestones and monuments.
MARTHA LYON
UNION CEMETERY
Preservation Management Plan
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Georgetown, Massachusetts
2008
Union Cemetery is the oldest burial ground in Georgetown, and one the town's
most historic public landscapes. It dates to the first decades of the 1700s and
the earliest days of settlement of West Rowley (Georgetown), and holds the
remains of some of the early settlers, as well as many individuals influential in
the development of the community. Owned first by the church, and then a
private corporation, upkeep of the cemetery for its first 250 years was regular.
When burials slowed in the 1970s, the cemetery began to fall into a state of
disrepair.
In 2007, the Georgetown Historical Commission hired Martha Lyon Landscape
Architecture (MLLA) to prepare a preservation management plan for Union
Cemetery. The plan's purpose was to document the landscape's history, assess
its existing conditions, and make long-term preservation recommendations.
MLLA's team included a gravestone conservator, who inventoried the damaged
monuments and markers. One of the highest priorities for preservation treat-
ment involved restoring the cemetery's long Route 133 edge.
MARTHA LYON
CENTER CEMETERY
Master Conservation Plan
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Chesterfield, Massachusetts
2008
Of the twelve cemeteries and burial grounds in Chesterfield, Center Cemetery is
the oldest, established in 1764 by the early settlers of the town. It holds the
graves of Chesterfield's first residents, including farmers, mill operators, and
town leaders, and many of its 18th and 19th century stones display the decora-
tive carvings of local artisans. Center Cemetery occupies an important place in
the history of Chesterfield and helps tell the story of the individuals and fami-
lies who established the town.
In 2008, Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture (MLLA) prepared a Master
Conservation Plan for Center Cemetery. Working with a gravestone conservator
and structural engineer, MLLA researched the cemetery's history, created a base
map of the property, inventoried and assessed existing conditions, and made
recommendations for preserving the cemetery landscape over time. Conserva-
tion of the cemetery's many 18th century markers was one of the highest prior-
ity recommendations.
MARTHA LYON
CHAPEL CEMETERY
Preservation Master Plan
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Phillips Academy
Andover, Massachusetts
2007
Chapel Cemetery is one of the most historic parts of the Phillips Academy
campus. Establihsed in 1810, the Cemetery originally stood on one acre at the
edge of the Andover Theological Seminary, and may have first served as a family
burial ground for a nearby farm. Today, it is part of the Phillips Academy
campus, providing a resting place for principals, faculty, students and other
individuals associated with both the Seminary and Academy.
Over the last ten years, the Trustees of Chapel Cemetery had become increasing
concerned about the long term health of the Cemetery's landscape. The campus
had grown, and the Cemetery environs had changed. The Trustees recognized
the need for a preservation plan that would guide future efforts to upgrade the
environs, enhance the historic features, and provide for new commemorations.
They hired Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture to lead the preservation
planning process, a year-long effort that included research, mapping, assessment,
and development of preservation recommendations.
MARTHA LYON
SELECTED PROJECTS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Since its inception in 2000, Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC has
completed over 130 projects. They include:
Amherst Preservation Plan
, Amherst, Massachusetts, 2004: development of a ten-
year plan for preserving the town’s historic and cultural resources. Recommend-
ations include education programs, advocacy efforts and preservation treatments
that addressed buildings, landscapes, scenic areas, open spaces, and historical
traditions.
Bedford Center Cemetery
, Memorial Garden Design, Bedford, New Hampshire,
2009: mapping, design and cost estimating for a new garden in an historic
cemetery. The garden, designed around a series of terraced slopes, will provide
space for cremation burials.
Bellamy-Ferriday House
, Historic Landscape Brochure, Bethlehem, Connecticut,
2008: research, mapping, design, layout and production of an interpretive
th
landscape brochure for an early 20 century garden designed by Miss Caroline
Ferriday. The property is owned and managed by Connecticut Landmarks.
Blackstone River State Park
, Landscape Restoration Plan, Lincoln, Rhode Island,
2002: historical research, assessment of plants and other landscape features and
schematic design for the restoration of the grounds of the Wilbur Kelly house
along the Blackstone River.
Brookfield Cemetery
, National Register of Historic Places Nomination &
Preservation Management Plan, Brookfield, Massachusetts, 2002: historical
research, landscape assessment, preservation planning and a National Register of
Historic Places nomination for Brookfield’s oldest cemetery.
Captain Charles Leonard House
, Cultural Landscape Report &Landscape
Preservation Master Plan, Agawam, Massachusetts, 2005: historical research,
schematic design, design development, and construction documentation for the
th
grounds of an early 19 century tavern located in Agawam’s Main Street National
Register District.
Center Cemetery
, Master Conservation Plan, Chesterfield, Massachusetts, 2008:
historical research, landscape assessment, preservation and management
recommendations for Chesterfield’s oldest burial ground.
Chapel Cemetery
, Preservation Master Plan, Phillips Andover Academy, Andover,
MA, 2007: historical research, landscape assessment, schematic design, cost
estimating and preservation recommendations for the Academy’s burial ground.
MARTHA LYON
SELECTED PROJECTS
(continued)
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Dalton Cemeteries
, Cultural Landscape Report, Dalton, Massachusetts, 2007:
historical research, landscape assessment and preservation recommendations for
Dalton’s three historic cemeteries.
Emily Dickinson Homestead
, Dooryard Restoration Plan, Amherst,
Massachusetts, 2000: historical research, schematic design, design development,
construction documents and construction observation for the environs of the
1831 home of the famous poet.
Emily Dickinson Museum
, Cultural Landscape Report, Amherst, Massachusetts,
2009: historical research, documentation, mapping, assessment and
th
recommendations for the Homestead and The Evergreens, two 19 century
properties built by members of the Dickinson family.
Emily Dickinson Museum
, Hedge and Fence Restoration, Amherst,
Massachusetts, 2009: design development, construction drawings and
specifications, and construction observation of the reconstruction of the Museum’s
wood picket fence and hemlock hedge.
Faulkner Homestead
, Master Plan, Acton, Massachusetts, 2009: historical
research, mapping, schematic design and cost estimating for the landscape of
Acton’s oldest extant building, constructed in the early 1700s.
First Parish Burial Ground
, National Register Nomination and Preservation Plan,
Gloucester, Massachusetts, 2008: historical research, mapping, landscape
assessment and preservation recommendations for Gloucester’s oldest extant
burial ground, established in 1644.
Gideon Putnam Cemetery
, Gravestone Assessment Mapping, Saratoga Springs,
New York, 2009: inventory and mapping of the City of Saratoga Springs’s oldest
burial ground and interment site for the city’s founder, Gideon Putnam.
Grace Church Cemetery
, Preservation Master Plan, Garden of Innocence Design
and Prow Restoration, Providence, Rhode Island, 2008: historical research,
mapping, landscape assessment, and preservation recommendations for a historic
urban cemetery, located on Providence’s south side. Recommendations included
design of a cremation garden for neo-natal burials, and design for the cemetery’s
main entrance, known as the “Prow.”
Greenwich Parks
, Historic Landscape Report, Greenwich, Connecticut, 2009:
research, documentation, mapping, assessment and recommendations for Binney,
Bruce, and Byram Parks, and the Montgomery Pinetum.
MARTHA LYON
SELECTED PROJECTS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
(continued)
Hanover Cemeteries
, Preservation Plan, Hanover, Massachusetts, 2010: historical
research, documentation, mapping, assessment, preservation recommendations
and management guidelines for Hanover Center, Union and West Hanover
Cemeteries.
Hull House
, Landscape Master Plan, Lancaster, Massachusetts, 2008: historical
research, landscape assessment, general preservation recommendations, schematic
design and cost estimating for the grounds of a Federal style home, built c. 1820
on the Niagara Frontier of New York State.
Maple Street Cemetery
,Preservation Plan & Phase 1 Restoration, Adams,
Massachusetts, 2000-2004: cultural landscape report and management plan,
National Register of Historic Places nomination, and construction drawings,
specifications, and construction observation for the first phase of improvements
for Adams’s most prominent historic cemetery.
Memorial Park
, Rehabilitation Plan, Adams, Massachusetts, 2001: research and
schematic design of a Veterans’ park designed in 1918 by ASLA Fellow Thomas
Desmond.
North Park
, Preservation Master Plan and Main Street Entrance Restoration, Fall
River, Massachusetts, 2005: cultural landscape report, mapping, assessment and
preservation recommendations for a 30-acre public park designed by the Olmsted
firm in the 1880s. Restoration of the park’s main entrance, a high priority of the
master plan, was completed in 2008.
Phillipston Cemeteries
National Register of Historic Places Nominations,
Phillipston, Massachusetts, 2008: research and preparation of written and visual
documentation for nominations to the National Register of Historic Places for
Searles Hill Cemetery and the Shepard Family Burial Ground.
Pine Grove Cemetery
, Master Plan for the Lake, Manchester, New Hampshire,
2003: research, schematic design and cost estimating for an historic Garden style
cemetery, designed in part by landscape architect Warren H. Manning.
Pittsfield Cemetery
, National Register Nomination, Pittsfield, MA, 2005:
research and preparation of written and visual documentation for a nomination to
the National Register of Historic Places for Pittsfield’s main cemetery, founded in
1850 and designed by Dr. Horatio Stone.
MARTHA LYON
SELECTED PROJECTS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
(continued)
Plympton Green
, National Register District Nomination, Plympton, MA, 2005:
research and preparation of written and visual documentation for a nomination to
the National Register of Historic Places for Plympton’s most prominent historic
landscape.
Provincetown Bas Relief Park (Town Green)
, Provincetown, Massachusetts,
2001: schematic design for a small park surrounding American artist Cyrus
Dallin’s bas relief sculpture, “Signing the Compact.”
Provincetown Public Library
, Provincetown, Massachusetts, 2008-2011:
historical research, schematic design, design development, construction
documentation and construction observation for Provincetown’s library, housed in
the former Center Methodist Church, built in 1860-1861.
Provincetown Waterfront Restoration
, Provincetown, Massachusetts, 2003-2005:
schematic design, design development, construction documentation and
construction observation for the restoration of Provincetown’s main square,
waterfront park, and transportation center (construction of Phase 1, Lopes Square,
was completed in 2005).
Roseland Park
, Cultural Landscape Report (Phase 1), Woodstock, Connecticut:
historical research and documentation for a 100-acre park, founded in 1876 by
Henry Chandler Bowen. Bowen designed the property and maintained it as a
private organization with a mission to serve the people of Woodstock and
surrounding towns.
Salem Historic Burying Grounds
, Preservation Plan, Salem, Massachusetts, 2001:
historical research, gravestone inventory, and landscape management planning for
the Charter Street, Broad Street and Friends’ Cemeteries and Howard Street
Burying Ground.
Salem Street Cemetery
, Master Conservation Plan, Medford, Massachusetts, 2010:
historical research, mapping, assessment, preservation recommendations and
management guidelines for Medford’s oldest known burial ground, located in the
heart of Medford Square.
Sanborn House,
Feasibility Study, Winchester, Massachusetts, 2005: cultural
landscape research, assessment, schematic design, outline construction drawings
and cost estimating for a the grounds of a Beaux Arts style residence designed in
1906 by the architectural firm of Hill & James.
MARTHA LYON
SELECTED PROJECTS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
(continued)
Saratoga Race Course
, Cultural Landscape Report, Saratoga Springs, New York,
2010: research, documentation, assessment and preservation recommendations for
America’s oldest thoroughbred race course, established in 1867.
Shawsheen Cemetery
, National Register of Historic Places Nomination, Bedford,
Massachusetts, 2006: research and preparation of written and visual
documentation for a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for
Bedford’s main cemetery, founded in 1849.
Scituate Burial Sites
, Survey and Preservation Plan, Scituate, Massachusetts, 2005:
cultural landscape research, documentation, mapping, assessment, and
preservation recommendations for the 15 burial grounds of this coastal
Massachusetts town.
Southlawn Cemetery
, Gravestone Conservation Project, Williamstown,
Massachusetts, 2007: project management of a Massachusetts Preservation
Projects Fund grant awarded to restore several dozen marble monuments and
markers.
Springside Park
, National Register Nomination, Pittsfield, MA, 2005: research
and preparation of written and visual documentation for a nomination to the
National Register of Historic Places for Pittsfield’s largest public park.
Stark Park
, Preservation Master Plan, Manchester, NH, 2005: cultural landscape
research, landscape assessment, restoration plan and cost estimates for one of
Manchester’s first public parks, designed in 1893.
Stevens Estate at Osgood Hill
, Landscape Restoration Plan, North Andover,
Massachusetts, 2001: cultural landscape report and master planning for the
grounds of an 1880 Country Place Era Estate, overlooking the Towns of North
Andover and Lawrence. The project also included detailed design for the
restoration of a formal garden, created by James and Ernest Bowditch.
Sycamores
, Preservation Master Plan, South Hadley, Massachusetts, 2002: cultural
landscape report, master planning, construction drawings and specifications for
the grounds of a 1788 home and 1900 formal garden. One of South Hadley’s
oldest standing residences, Sycamores will become a museum of the South Hadley
Historical Society.
Templeton Common Burial Ground
, Preservation Plan, Templeton,
Massachusetts, 2002: cultural landscape report, landscape assessment and
preservation planning for Templeton’s oldest burying ground, founded in the mid-
th
century.
18
MARTHA LYON
SELECTED PROJECTS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
(continued)
Union Cemetery
, Preservation Master Plan, Georgetown, Massachusetts, 2008:
historical research, mapping, landscape assessment and preservation planning for
Georgetown’s oldest burial ground, established prior to the founding of the town.
Valley Cemetery
, Preservation Plan, Manchester, New Hampshire, 2002: cultural
landscape report, landscape assessment and preservation planning for an 1841
Rural style cemetery, located on 19 acres in the heart of downtown Manchester.
Vine Lake Cemetery
, Preservation & Management Plan, Medfield, Massachusetts,
2004: cultural landscape report, assessment, and recommendations for preserving
and managing the landscape of Medfield’s only burial ground, founded in 1651.
Winthrop Street Cemetery
, Restoration Plan, Provincetown, Massachusetts, 2000-
2003: cultural landscape report, landscape assessment, contract documents and
construction observation for Provincetown’s oldest burial ground. Located on a
dune, the cemetery holds graves of Mayflower passengers, as well as many early
settlers of this historic Cape Cod town.
Worthington Cemeteries
, National Register of Historic Places Nominations and
Landscape Management Plans, Worthington, Massachusetts, 2001: preparation of
nominations for North, Center and Ringville Cemeteries, three early Worthington
burial grounds. Management plans include landscape assessment and
management guidelines, cost estimates and funding sources.
MARTHA LYON
MARTHA H. LYON, ASLA
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Design Practice & Professional Experience
Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC, design, historic preservation, planning,
Northampton, Massachusetts, managing principal, 2000-present
Denig Design Associates, Inc., Northampton, Massachusetts, associate landscape
architect, 1997- 2000
The LA Group, P.C., Saratoga Springs, New York, apprentice landscape architect,
1994-1997
University of Massachusetts,Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional
Planning,Amherst, MA, teaching and research assistant, 1990-1993
Massachusetts Cultural Council (Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities),
Boston, MA,program officer, museums & historical organizations, 1982-1990
Education
Master of Landscape Architecture, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1993 Thesis:
“Gardens of the Gullah: Domestic Landscapes of the South Carolina Sea
Islands”
Bachelor of Arts, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY. Concentration in art history,
1980
Studies in British art and architectural history, Mansfield College, Oxford
University, England, 1978
Continuing Education through seminars, conferences, symposia and travel
Professional Licensure
Licensed to practice landscape architecture in Massachusetts (#1298), Rhode
Island (#417) and Connecticut (#1035)
Certified by the Council of Landscape Architectural Review Boards (CLARB)
Honors & Awards
Preservation Award, Massachusetts Historical Commission for restoration of the
Brookfield Cemetery Entry Gate, 2014
Preservation Award, Massachusetts Historical Commission for rehabilitation of the
Provincetown Public Library, 2012
Culture Award, The Gloucester (MA) Historical Commission for the First Parish
Burial Ground Preservation Plan, 2009
Preservation Award, The Manchester (NH) Historic Association for preservation
planning and restoration of Stark Park, 2007
Preservation Award, The Manchester (NH) Historic Association for the restoration
of the Currier Gate Environs at Valley Cemetery, 2005
Merit Award, American Society of Landscape Architects Boston Chapter for the
Nathaniel Thayer Estate Preservation Plan (awarded to Ms. Lyon’s graduate
studio in Historic Preservation at the University of Massachusetts), 2001
MARTHA LYON
MARTHA H. LYON, ASLA
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Page two
Honors & Awards, continued
Merit Award, American Society of Landscape Architects Boston Chapter for the
Eastwood Cemetery Preservation Plan (awarded to Ms. Lyon’s graduate studio in
Historic Preservation at the University of Massachusetts), 1999
Honor Award, American Planning Association New York Upstate Chapter for the
Eastern Gateway Regional Plan, in association with the LA Group, 1995
Merit Award, the American Society of Landscape Architects New York Conference
for the Mount Hope & Riverside Cemeteries Space Utilization and Landscape
Improvement Plan, in association with the LA Group, 1995
First Place Winner, American Society of Landscape Architects Student Design
Competition, Graduate Research Category for Gardens of the Gullah: Domestic
Landscapes of the South Carolina Sea Islands, 1993
Honor Award, American Society of Landscape Architects, for outstanding academic
achievement, 1993
National Honor Society of Sigma Lambda Alpha, inducted 1992
Teaching & Lecturing
Adjunct Faculty Member & Visiting Instructor, University of Massachusetts at
Amherst, Department of Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning, 1999-
present
“Warren Manning and the Making of Wilcox Park.” Presentation made at the
Westerly Public Library, 2014
“Preservation Planning for Historic Cemetery Landscapes.” Presentation made at
the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training’s International
Historic Cemetery Preservation Summit, 2014
“Planning for Historic Cemeteries.” Presentation made at the Massachusetts
Statewide Preservation Conference, 2013
“The Historic Saratoga Race Course: A Collaborative Cultural Resource Study.”
Paper presented at the Association for Preservation Technology Annual
Conference, Charleston, South Carolina, 2012
“Cemeteries as Designed Landscapes.” Presentation made at the Rhode Island
Statewide Historic Preservation Conference, Woonsocket, Rhode Island, 2012
“Cemetery Preservation Planning 101.” Presentation made at the Massachusetts
Department of Conservation and Recreation Historic Cemetery Preservation
Workshop, 2011
“Cemetery Landscape Planning: Keys to Success.” Presentation made at the
National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology &
Training Workshop in Brookline, Massachusetts, 2009
“Gloucester’s First Parish Burial Ground Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”
Lecture delivered at the Cape Ann Museum, 2009
“Oak Grove and the Rural Cemetery Preservation Movement in America.”
Lecture delivered to the Friends of Oak Grove Cemetery, 2009
“The Olmsted Brothers, Landscape Architects and the Fall River Parks.” Lecture
delivered to the Fall River Preservation Society, 2008
MARTHA LYON
MARTHA H. LYON, ASLA
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Page three
Teaching & Lecturing, continued
“Gardening in Victorian America, 1850-1900.” Lecture delivered to the Suffield,
CT Garden Club, 2008
“Sustainable Historic Landscapes: Green Preservation of Intimate Spaces.”
Panelist and presenter for the Rhode Island Statewide Historic Preservation
Conference, 2007
“Stewardship of Municipal Landscapes: Parks & Commons.” Panelist and
presenter for the Massachusetts Statewide Historic Preservation Conference,
2006
“Gardening in Victorian America.” Lecture delivered to the Connecticut
Antiquarian & Landmarks Society, Hartford, New Haven, Old Lyme and
Torrington, CT, 2006
“Patches of Green: America’s Domestic Landscape 1700-1920.” Lecture delivered
to the Garden Club of Hingham, Hingham, MA, 2004
“Worthington’s Cemeteries & the History of American Cemetery Design.”
Lecture delivered to the Worthington Historical Society, Worthington, MA,
2001
“Preservation Planning for Historic Cemetery Landscapes.” Presentation at the
Association for Gravestone Studies Annual Conference, Newton, MA, 2001
“Growth & Change in the Garden at Osgood Hill.” Lecture delivered to the
North Andover Garden Club, North Andover, MA, 2001
“A Tour of West Cemetery.” Tour for the Town of Amherst, Local History Day,
1999
“Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and the Melvin Memorial Landscape.” Lecture and tour
for the Town of Concord, MA, 1999
“Landscapes of Passage, Landscapes of Death: A History of American Cemetery
Design.” Lecture delivered to the Department of Landscape Architecture &
Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 1998
Victorian Cemetery Tour, presenter of interpretive walking tour of the Glens Falls
Cemetery, Glens Falls, NY, 1997
“Park, Cemetery, Estate & Garden: Glimpses of America’s Victorian Landscape.”
Lecture delivered at the Chapman Museum, Glens Falls, NY, 1997
New York State Conference of Landscape Architects, Annual Conference, speaker
on the topic of “Mount Hope and Riverside Cemeteries: A Case Study,”
1996
Publications
“Uncovering an American Story: Preserving the Vernacular Landscape of Edward
Dickinson,” Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook, 2013
“Provincetown - Accessibility on the Green,” Massachusetts Department of
Conservation and Recreation, Terra Firm, Common Wealth: The Past and Future of
Town Commons, 2008
“Saving the Face of Valley Cemetery,” Granite State Landscape Architects, NH Forum,
May 2007
MARTHA LYON
MARTHA H. LYON, ASLA
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Page four
Publications, continued
“Commemorative Landscapes: Burying Grounds & Cemeteries in New
England,” Maine Olmsted Alliance for Parks and Landscapes Journal, Summer
2005
“Vernacular Cemeteries and the Maple Street Cemetery of Adams, Massachusetts,”
Maine Olmsted Alliance for Parks and Landscapes Journal, Summer 2005
“The Legacy of Warren Manning,” Journal of the Maine Olmsted Alliance for Parks
and Landscapes, Spring 2004
“A Plan for Renewal at Mount Hope Cemetery,” Land and History, The Newsletter of
the American Society of Landscape Architects Historic Preservation Open Committee,
Fall 1996
“A Plan for Renewal at Mount Hope Cemetery,” Upstate Landscapes, Winter 1996
(re-printed from Land and History, above)
“Upstate Landscapes: Our Choices for Summer Visits,” Upstate Landscapes,
Summer 1995 (editor & writer)
“Mount Hope Cemetery: A Plan to Revivify a Tarnished Treasure in Rochester,
NY,” The American Cemetery, February 1995
“A Tulip Tree in the Hemlock Grove,” Upstate Landscapes, Winter 1994
“The Voice of the Vernacular Landscape,” Upstate Landscapes, Fall 1993
Gardens of the Gullah: Domestic Landscapes of the South Carolina Sea Islands, 1993
Community Service
Elm Street Historic District Commission, Northampton, MA. Commissioner,
2007-present
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Foundation, Inc., Hadley, MA. Board member, 2000-
2003
Association for Gravestone Studies, Greenfield, MA. Board member, 2001-2003
Massachusetts Cultural Council, review panelist for General Operating Support
Program for science/design institutions. Boston, MA, 2002
Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, Saratoga Springs, NY. President, 1997,
board member, 1995-1997. Chair, 1996 & 1997 Benefit Auctions. Chair,
Long-Range Planning Committee, 1996-1997
Connecticut Commission on the Arts, review panelist for Challenge Grant
Program for artistic development in visual arts organizations. Hartford, CT,
1997
Design Review Board of the Town of Amherst, MA. Town-appointed committee
organized to set policy and review designs for Amherst’s downtown landscape,
1989-1993
Public Art Planning Committee of the Amherst Arts Council, Amherst, MA.
Committee established to study feasibility of art in public places, 1988-1990
Connecticut Humanities Council, evaluator for “Toward Common Ground,” a
conference on public art in Hartford, CT, 1988
MARTHA LYON
MARTHA H. LYON, ASLA
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, LLC
Page five
Memberships
Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation
American Society of Landscape Architects/Historic Preservation Interest Group
Association for Gravestone Studies
Association for Preservation Technology International
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Preserving the substance and significance of gravestones
IRVING SLAVID Conservator
MARTIN JOHNSON Conservator
PROF. NORMAN R. WEISS Consultant
QUALIFICATIONS
Monument Conservation Collaborative is a nationally known firm with over 20
years experience specializing in historic graveyard conservation, including:
development of preservation master plans and condition assessment reports;
technical recommendations for stone conservation; execution of treatments
and restoration project management. While many towns retain MCC on an
annual basis, we also provide restoration services for large projects. All work
performed is in compliance with the requirements of the Massachusetts
Preservation Projects Fund’s grant program, the AIC Code of Ethics and
Standards of Practice and will comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s
Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
In 2003 MCC designed an innovative 3 day program of cemetery conservation
seminars and hands-on workshops for the National Center for Preservation
Technology and Training (National Park Service). We have continued to serve
as instructors in these courses, which have been held every year at various
historic cemeteries throughout the United States. This is the only program of
its type in the US, and is recognized as the most informative and instructive
course available for professionals and interested laypersons.
The goal of the monument conservator is the preservation of both the physical
substance, and the historic/artistic meaning of each monument. Because of
the proximity of the visitor to the artifact, and the rather high level of scrutiny
given to the inscriptions and decoration, cemetery conservation practices
demand closer tolerances of color and texture than are typical in building
preservation.
We believe that our early experience restoring museum quality antiques
combined with our expertise in working with exterior stone monuments, gives
MCC a very unique combination of skills to help retain the distinctive quality
and appearance of the original monuments.
More information on MCC can be found at www.mcc-monument-
conservation.com
P.O. BOX 541, NORFOLK, CT 06058 860 307 6695 413 248 5077
MCCLLC@gmail.com
Preserving the substance and significance of gravestones
IRVING SLAVID Conservator
MARTIN JOHNSON Conservator
PROF. NORMAN R. WEISS Consultant
Resumes
IRVING SLAVIDPresident of MCC
Irving studied structural engineering and architecture at Northeastern University and the Boston
Architectural Center. For 30 years, he was a conservator of ceramics, and glass, serving private
collectors, dealers and museums. Working full time in historic cemeteries since 1995, he is
recognized as an authoritative specialist in the restoration of New England’s historic brownstone,
marble, and slate grave markers. Irving is a member of AIC.
Slavid helped design the first cemetery training workshop for the National Center for
Preservation Technology and Training (National Park Service), and has been an instructor for
this NCPTT seminar since 2003. He has personally conserved over 1000 New England
gravemarkers and now divides his time between Monument Conservation Collaborative and MCC
Materials, Inc., where he directs laboratory operations.
MARTIN JOHNSON Conservator and Vice President of MCC
Martin has a BA in geography, bringing a practical knowledge of soils, ground water, and
mapping to the MCC team. Since 2004, Martin has gained hands on experience in all aspects of
monument conservation, having worked at more than thirty-five sites throughout New England,
New York, Kentucky, Florida as well as in American Samoa.
As project manager, Martin organizes the sequencing of the restoration as well as preservation.
On site, he oversees and is directly involved in cleaning, resetting, adhesion, patching and
chemical consolidation. He has been an instructor at the NCPTT cemetery training workshops.
He has gained extensive knowledge and skills in working with local, state and national
government agencies, while serving as the chairman of the Inlands Wetlands Commission of
Norfolk CT for more than 10 years.
NORMAN R. WEISS Preservation Scientist, Consultant
Norman is a Research Scholar and Associate Professor at Columbia University's Graduate School
of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where he has taught since 1977. Trained as an
analytical chemist, he is an internationally-known specialist in the analysis and preservation of
traditional construction materials. His most current research is in the study of lime-based
mortars and paints, and the consolidation of limestone and marble.
Weiss has been an active practitioner in the field of graveyard conservation for more than 30
years, and is a Life Member and Fellow of APT (the Association for Preservation Technology). He
is a consultant editor of the UK-based Journal of Architectural Conservation, and member of the
National Park Service’s Preservation Technology Board.
P.O. BOX 541, NORFOLK, CT 06058 860 307 6695 413 248 5077
MCCLLC@gmail.com
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
APPENDIX B:FIGURES
43
HADLEY
Bridge Street
Cemetery
I
Bridge Street Cemetery
City of Northampton
1:12,500
Public Works USGS Site Locus
I
Bridge Street Cemetery
City of Northampton
060120240Feet
Public Works Existing Conditions
Zpv!dsfbufe!uijt!QEG!gspn!bo!bqqmjdbujpo!uibu!jt!opu!mjdfotfe!up!qsjou!up!opwbQEG!qsjoufs!)iuuq;00xxx/opwbqeg/dpn*
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
APPENDIX C:PHOTOGRAPHS
47
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
Photograph 1: Historical Photo Photograph 1: Historical Photo
Photograph 3: Cemetery View from Parsons Street
48
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
Photograph 4: Cemetery View from Bridge Street
Photograph 5: Damage Gravestone Marker(s)
49
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
Photograph 6: Damage Gravestone Marker(s)
Photograph 7: Damage Gravestone Marker(s)
50
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
Photograph 8: View of Cemetery from Within (Forbes Marker on Far Right)
Photograph 9: Bridge Street Cemetery Entrance
51
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
APPENDIX D:LETTERS OF SUPPORT
52
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COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT NARRATIVE
BRIDGE STREET CEMETERY PRESERVATION MASTER PLAN
Fall 2014
APPENDIX E:MASSACHUSETTS HISTRORIC REGISTER
56
Inventory No:NTH.803
Historic Name:Bridge Street Cemetery
Common Name:
Address:156 Bridge St
City/Town:Northampton
Village/Neighborhood:Northampton
Local No:1118; 25C-260-001
Year Constructed:
Booth, Roger; Griswold, George; Hale, Gideon; Johnson,
Thomas; Kinney, C. W.; Nash, Joseph; Phelps, Nathaniel;
Architect(s):
Phelps, Rufus; Ritter, John C.; Upjohn, Richard;
Willistone, Joseph
Architectural Style(s):
Use(s):Burial Ground
Art; Community Planning; Landscape Architecture;
Significance:
Religion
Area(s):
Designation(s):
Building Materials(s):
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This file was accessed on:
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Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number
FORM E BURIAL GROUND
25C-260-001 Easthampton NTH.803
MHC
ASSACHUSETTSISTORICALOMMISSION
MAB
ASSACHUSETTSRCHIVES UILDING
220MB
ORRISSEYOULEVARD
Town
: Northampton
B,M02125
OSTONASSACHUSETTS
Place
(neighborhood or village
Northampton Center
):
Photograph
Address or Location:
Bridge Street
Name:
Bridge Street Cemetery
Ownership:
__x__ Public ____ Private
Approximate Number of Stones:
3,000
Earliest Death Date:
1683 or 1685
Latest Death Date:
2011
Landscape Architect:
Condition:
good
Acreage
19 acres
Topographic or Assessor's Map
:
Setting
:
Bridge Street Cemetery is west of the
Connecticut River and northeast of Northampton’s
commercial district. It is in a neighborhood of homes, a
nearby elementary school and a fairgrounds.
Recorded by:
Bonnie Parsons
Organization:
PVPC
Date
(month / year):
April, 2011
RECEIVED
AUG 19 2011
MASS. HIST. COMM.
Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form.
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ORRISSEYOULEVARDOSTONASSACHUSETTS
NTH. 803
_X__ Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form.
Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets.
VISUAL/DESIGN ASSESSMENT
Describe landscape features, gravestone materials, designs, motifs, and symbols that are either common or unusual. Note any known
carvers.
In the northwest section of Northampton, the Bridge Street Cemetery is a 19-acre cemetery bounded by Bridge Street on the
south and east, Parsons Street on the west, and by house lots on the north. It is roughly rectangular in shape. The cemetery is
surrounded by a chain link fence and may be entered by the public at the north west corner, though there is a pair of stone
entrance pylons about 7’ high on the south side of the cemetery where formerly the main entrance existed.
While the land of the cemetery is generally level, there is a slight rise of no more than four feet in the south central area of the
landscape and rows of east to west aisles that are about 8’ wide are depressed about 2’. The land is neatly cropped and grass-
covered. Randomly dispersed throughout the cemetery are mature trees among them Sugar Maple, Black Maple, Yellow Poplar,
Spruce and Eastern White Pine. There are single examples of Cypress and Hawthorne as well. Separating some of the family
plots and lining their borders on the northern end of the cemetery are individual and rows of evergreen hedges. About an acre at
the north end of the cemetery is open and without monuments.
There is a one-story, aluminum-sided and garage-sized maintenance building on the west side of the cemetery, next to Parsons
Street.
Circulation in the cemetery is accomplished by a grid of pathways. At the outer east and west sides of the cemetery are two
asphalt paved ways, about 8’ wide, that extend the length of the cemetery from north to south. Several other north-to-south
ways complete the grid but are not paved. East to west ways are grass-covered and are about 15’ apart, and 5’ wide.
The majority of the markers face east. Granite and marble markers dominate within the cemetery but there are also plentiful
numbers of brownstone, a very few slate markers, and two of zinc. Three large family tombs are, respectively, limestone,
brownstone, and granite. The largest number of markers are slab in form with either tabernacle, straight, pointed or arched tops.
Scores of markers are obelisks of various heights and dimensions; there is one Celtic cross and one columnar marker. There
are about a half-dozen rough boulders and only slightly fewer in number than the slabs are the coffer-shaped, rectangular stones
set on bases that are about three feet high. They have straight or segmentally arched tops. There is one table marker and there
are several large-scale markers laid horizontally on the plot and embedded shallowly in the earth. There are no large-scale
figural monuments in the cemetery. Some family plots are set off with granite curbing or corner posts, some with initials carved
in their top surfaces. Metal fencing wrought, cast or post and chain are absent.
There are several family mausoleums of note. Among them is the Bates tomb. It is a building of Nova Scotia granite 35 feet
high, and 20 feet by 20 feet in plan. Classical Revival in style, it is a Greek Cross in plan, each projecting pavilion composed of
a pair of fluted pilasters supporting a pediment. The central core of the building is covered by a dome of stone and bronze. The
south entry has solid bronze double leaf doors.
There is one public memorial in the cemetery: the GAR monument to the Civil War dead that was erected according to its
inscription, “by Public Subscription, Dedicated May 30, 1908”. This is a roughly carved granite stone about 10’ high with smooth
faces on north and south sides for inscriptions bordered by high relief sculptural ornament. Its four cornerstones are low posts
topped with metal cannonballs.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
Explain religious affiliations, major period of use, and evaluate historical association of this burial ground with the community.
Continuation sheet 1
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History of Cemetery Land
When the Northampton Proprietors laid out the Plantation of Northampton in 1654 they provided on Main Street for a
meetinghouse lot that incorporated common land for a burial ground. The lot was known as Meetinghouse Hill. Between 1658
when residents voted to make a burial ground on Meetinghouse Hill and 1663, burials took place at this burial ground. But in
1661a vote passed to “alter” the burial ground on Meetinghouse Hill and to create a new burial ground. By “altering”, it seems,
the town was voting to use land of the burial ground for other purposes and move the burials elsewhere. A committee in 1662
chose land east of Meetinghouse Hill. They settled on the furthest corner of the common land that had been set aside for the
minister’s ten acre tilling lot in 1654, and where there was already one burial – a Mr. Jeane – and that established the Bridge
Street Cemetery. In 1680 the graves around the meetinghouse were moved to the new cemetery and within a few years,
Cornet Joseph Parsons who lived nearby on Bridge Street and owned much of the land in this section of town donated a few
th
additional acres to the town for the cemetery. What constitutes the original 17 century portion of the cemetery is located today
in the south east section where plots are laid out irregularly, as was the practice at the time. In 1668 the town voted to fence the
cemetery to set a firm boundary and avoid further encroachments by neighbors. Apparently the fencing was too flimsy to serve
its purpose or was aesthetically unsuitable, and six years later people voted to fence the cemetery with a new stone wall, which
they did. By 1802 even that fence was in need of improvement so a new and larger one was built in its place.
While the reburials and new burials were made in the southeast section, there were rudimentary paths among the plots, which
was a common feature until after the Revolution when graves were laid out in orderly fashion, in rows, and circulation roads or
pathways were added to the cemetery. So between about 1800 and 1880 as the burials increased and lots were sold, the
northern half of the cemetery was laid out in its current grid of streets. They were named and some were named according to
their extensions outside the cemetery, i.e. Walnut Avenue was an extension of Walnut Street and Cherry Avenue of Cherry
th
Street. The first 19 century expansion of the cemetery took place in 1888 when the town bought about five acres of land from
John S. Wright and at the same time laid out an orderly plan of lots.
The cemetery functioned with approximately 15 acres until 1894 when the cemetery commission noted that additional land was
needed for the future and recommended that 4 ½ acres be bought from two local property owners L. R. Clark and Josiah
Graves. The commission felt this purchase would last fifty years, but objections were mounted by several city officials who felt
that the Bridge Street Cemetery enlarged would impede development in the neighborhood and that beginning a new cemetery
further from the Center would be preferable. Nothing was done for four years, but in 1898 the cemetery commissioners again
brought up the need for new land as only twenty plots were left. They conceded that nothing need be done that year, so nothing
was done.
Between 1895 and 1900 M. Morton and Josiah Graves’ land on the north side of the cemetery was developed as Elizabeth and
Orchard Streets, so was no longer available to the cemetery. But the need for additional space grew, so in 1900 the cemetery
commissioners bought a remaining strip of land on the west side of Orchard Street 40’ wide and 800’ long. According to the
Hampshire Gazette the commission bought the land for $4,435 foregoing public meetings in order to avoid the objections of
people on Orchard Street whose back yards would now abut the new acquisition. The acquisition was not uncontested, but went
forward. This addition to the cemetery was projected by the cemetery commissioners to last 30-40 years.
In 1911, however, the commissioners forged ahead with additional land acquisition, buying the last available section of land
abutting the cemetery, which was two acres owned by Henry R. Hinckley on the northwest corner of the cemetery. There was
considerable public opposition to this acquisition from Orchard Street residents, primarily, who felt the value of their property
would decline. But commissioners countered with a plan to plant new trees along North Street and a line of shrubbery along the
Orchard Street sidewalk, which would buffer the cemetery, and the property was added to the cemetery.
thth
The chronological progression of markers from 17-20 centuries, their materials, forms, art, and iconography are as follows.
When individual carvers have been identified, they will be noted.
History of Cemetery Art through Markers and Architecture
th
17 Century.
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Bridge Street Cemetery has at least three markers from the 17 century: the marker of Capt. Elisha Grey, d. 1685; that of
Lieutenant John Lyman d. 1690, and the Elder John Strong, d. 1699. They have in common brownstone material, tabernacle
Continuation sheet 2
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shape and simple carving of names and dates of death. The lettering style is irregular and suggests a carver with rudimentary
skills and tools, though the style has been interpreted as a Puritan avoidance of imagery. Known carver is the earliest in the
Connecticut River valley, George Griswold (1633-1704). Griswold’s stone of Jonathon Hunt of 1691 is in sandstone the
preferred material.
th
18 Century
thth
The simple style of the 17 century persisted into the 18. Two exemplary markers of this early period are the Abraham Miller
marker of 1727 and the John Parsons marker of 1728. Both are tabernacle shape, sandstone, and carved with the simple
names and dates of death. Sarah Wright’s marker of 1732-33 in the same style is known to have been carved by Joseph Nash
(1664-1740) was from Hadley and who was prolific in production of these simple stones. Nash also carved the 1723/4 Abigail
Phelpsstone.
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But not all 18 century stones were so simply limned. By the 1730s images appear on markers, all of which continue to be
sandstone. The death’s head or skull image - that when carved alone on a marker is a stark image - is the earliest of these
images and in Northampton the carver Gideon Hale is known to have been one of the earliest carvers of the death’s head as
seen as his 1734 Samuel Wright marker where the death’s head is accompanied by wings. Vines twine down each side of the
Wright marker. Hale or one of his colleagues in Middletown Connecticut Thomas Johnson I, where their workshop was located
is thought also to have carved the Aaron Mirick marker of 1734 a toothy skull head and angel wings. The Mr. John Hunt and
Mrs. Esther Hunt marker is a table marker with an enormous brownstone slab about 4’ x 8’ x 3” thick that rests on four fluted
pillars and is set off from other markers by four corner posts. Known as a table stone, these were popular with the wealthy of the
area and were produced largely in Middletown, Connecticut. John Hunt’s death date is 1735 and Esther’s is 1787, and the table
stones date between 1745 and the early 1770s when Middletown carvers were most active. The lettering on this marker is
regular and stylized.
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Double stones are rare, but an 18 century version is the brownstone double tabernacle marker of the Hunt Children killed by
lightning in 1769 with two winged cherubs. Carver Joseph Williston of Springfield is associated with the 1762 stone of Mrs.
Elizabeth Lyman and that of Joseph Lyman from 1763 with cherubs’s heads roundly carved and given both detail and
th
expression. In addition to the development of the winged cherub, and the regularization of lettering, markers of the 18 century
introduced epitaphs that were generally carved on the lower section of the stone and were memento mori in content.
Seth Pomeroy’s unique marker of 1777 takes the carving in a painterly direction with cherub-like Adam and Eve facing each
other with Renaissance-derived heraldry and bird and floral forms filling the upper field of the marker. This stone has been
traced to Northampton carver Nathaniel Phelps. Phelps was the son of a brick mason, a trade that he also carried on, and was
trained in Middletown, Connecticut by that important stone carving workshop. He became the most prolific gravestone carver in
Hampshire County and practiced during the 1740s through the 1780s, changing his style to meet his competition. His work is
represented by at least 47 markers in the Bridge Street cemetery. The 1780 Jonathon Allen stone carved by Nathaniel Phelps
has reclining cherubs at each side of an urn and holding trumpets, a pictorial motif that is quite rare. The 1797 marker of
Elizabeth Hunt carved by Roger Booth was part of a trend towards naturalism that took place in the late 1770s and 1780s and
practiced by Nathaniel Phelps. Booth’s stone presents a half-length body, sometimes known as an anthropomorphized angel,
with arms in lieu of the cherub and the carving further departs from the traditional pattern as the arms hold grape vines and
clusters of grapes that twine around the figure.
But not all carvers were similarly inclined towards the pictorial, and two-decades later brownstone tabernacle marker of Ephraim
Wright of 1794 retained the cherub motif and depicted a cherub head with rectangles for ears and topknot, and wings, in an
interpretation that was geometric and abstract. During the 1790s in Northampton Neo-classical urns and willow motifs began to
appear but at the same time Rufus Phelps, son of Nathaniel, was carving markers in Northampton such as that of Wright with a
simple incised line and ornamented by wavy lines and arches cut into the stone. His 1802 stone of Ebenezer Wright is a solitary
face. Phelps carried out this abstract carving while the Neo-classical movement was taking over.
th
19 Century
On individual stones, winged cherubs were gradually replaced in the early 1800s at the Bridge Street Cemetery by weeping
willow and urn motifs that express the mourning that death brings to the living. Materials diversify with the replacement of
sandstone by an increased number of markers in marble and granite. Zinc as a cheap and nearly indestructible material
appeared as at the Vogel child’s marker from 1877. Marker forms diversified, as well, with the introduction of obelisks, carved
Continuation sheet 3
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sepulchers modeled on reliquaries, and more unusual forms such as a Celtic cross or roughly hewn boulder. Representative of
these is the Judge Forbes monument of 1882 erected for Judge Forbes, which is 25’ high and composed of an inscribed slab
mounted on a three-stage base carved with the name “Forbes”. It was designed by John C. Ritter of New Haven, Connecticut.
An elaborated obelisk is the granite and marble Holland family marker from the 1870s that is a banded marble shaft topped by a
four-sided cap and resting on a plinth above a sloped granite base. It is set on a granite-curbed plot in which are small individual
markers of the family members.
In 1875 the first monumental family mausoleum was added to the south side of the cemetery, the Bates family tomb that was
designed by well-known architect Richard Upjohn in Classical Revival style and was large enough to accommodate three family
members. Family plots are developed and with these the Bridge Street Cemetery is well-represented. Hundreds of family plots
around obelisks or sepulchers surrounded by footstones or flat markers with individual names appear. The movement towards
clustering family markers represented the wish to indicate that families will go to heaven together spending eternity and as each
new member died, his or her name was either entered on the obelisk or on a low personal stone, or both. Representative of this
family gathering is the Twiss monument from the 1880s, a reliquary shape with name in high relief and ornamented with floral
designs at its corners. The center family stone is then surrounded by scroll-shaped individual markers with names and dates.
Linear clusters of stones were also erected with larger markers – usually slabs for Mother and Father – adjacent to a line of
similarly carved stones for siblings, wives and husbands. Families weren’t always so providential as to have organized these
th
arrangements, nor perhaps as congenial, so 19 century families were also clustered in an uncoordinated manner or dispersed
throughout the cemetery. The markers of George Cable’s family of identical design are set in a row with Mr. Cable’s marker,
those of two wives, a sister, and son in alignment, and at the very end of the line a first wife’s unmatched marker. George
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Cable’s own dates are carved on several of the markers. An early 20 century family marker is the Jones-Lawrence stone that
has a three-sided face. It is three feet in height and is rusticated granite carved on its base with family surnames while
individuals’ names and dated are carved into the faces of the angled plaques. Without imagery or carved forms such as urns or
consoles, the texture of the stone and the precision of the carving were intended to carry the theme of eternity.
th
The late 19 century also saw families retroactively commemorating their ancestors. One of the first to do so was Josiah
Parsons Cooke who left money in his will to place a monument over the grave of his ancestor Major Aaron Cooke, one of the
first settlers of Northampton. The result was a sarcophagus of granite 7’ wide, 5’-10” high constructed by monument-maker C.
W. Kinney in 1881. It contains the old stone from 1690.
th
20 Century
th
Erecting monuments to ancestors continued in the 20 century. In 1911 the Miller family held a reunion and dedicated their
monument to William and Patience Miller who were among the Northampton settlers of 1654, and Patience Miller was the
settlement’s first physician. The monument uses rustication of the stone and lettering for its ornament conveying the inscription
of the original burial stones rather than figurative or floral designs. Plans for family monuments grew larger as the century
proceeded. A family chapel was proposed in 1924 and funded in the will of L. A. Clark. It was to hold from 80-100 people and
was designed by Northampton architects Putnam and Stuart. It was not built, however, so size of family mausoleums was
effectively capped.
th
From the second quarter of the 20 century markers for couples began to appear in number. Unlike the double tabernacle
stones, these markers are double-sided with the family surname on one side and the two or more individuals on the verso. The
markers of this century continue to be carved in marble and granite and they have a relatively uniform shape that is low,
horizontal and wider at the base than the top. An example of this relatively modest form stone is that of L. Clark Seelye (1837-
th
1924) who was the first president of Smith College. A 20 century marker that is more elaborate and idiosyncratic is that of
Northampton philanthropist Thomas Munroe Shepherd (1856-1923), a marble sundial set on a column shaft that is centered on
a marble base. Where there are no individual markers around the center monument, the practice of cremation rather than burial
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is reflected. Since the mid-20 century stones in the cemetery are largely standard, and mass-produced.
Continuation sheet 4
INVENTORYFORMECONTINUATIONSHEET
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NORTHAMPTON[BRIDGE STREET
MHC
ASSACHUSETTSISTORICALOMMISSION
Area(s) Form No.
220MB,B,M02125
ORRISSEYOULEVARDOSTONASSACHUSETTS
NTH. 803
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Association for Gravestone Studies, Markers III, Kevin Sweeney, “Where the Bay Meets the River,Gravestones and
Stonecutters in the River Towns of Western Massachusetts, 1690-1810”, 1985.
Beers, F. W. County Atlas of Hampshire Massachusetts, New York, 1873.
Hales, John G. Plan of the Town or Northampton in the County of Hampshire, 1831.
Miller, D. L. Atlas of the City of Northampton and Town of Easthampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, 1895.
Walker, George H. and Company. Atlas of Northampton City, Massachusetts, Boston, 1884.
Walling, Henry F. Map of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, New York, 1860.
Hampshire Gazette, see index to articles 1790-1937, “Bridge Street Cemetery”.
Continuation sheet 5
INVENTORYFORMECONTINUATIONSHEET
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NORTHAMPTON[BRIDGE STREET
MHC
ASSACHUSETTSISTORICALOMMISSION
Area(s) Form No.
220MB,B,M02125
ORRISSEYOULEVARDOSTONASSACHUSETTS
NTH. 803
National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form
Check all that apply:
Individually eligible Eligible only in an historic district
Contributing to a potential historic district Potential historic district
Criteria: A B C D
Criteria Considerations: A B C D E F G
Statement of Significance by _____Bonnie Parsons___________________
The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here.
The Bridge Street Cemetery would be eligible for the National Register as an individual listing as the City’s oldest
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extant cemetery replete with the work of the Connecticut River valley carvers from the 18 and 19 centuries. It
contains the graves of Northampton’s early residents, generations of families descended from the settlers. It would
also contribute to a potential Pomeroy Terrace historic district that developed south and east of it from the second
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third of the 19 century as Northampton’s finest residential district. Original residents here were merchants, retired
farmers, lawyers, and other professions. As the century progressed the adjacent streets were laid out for the growing
middle class with railroad personnel joining clerks, teachers, and others.
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Architecturally the potential historic district is significant for the fine examples of the 19 century architectural styles
from the Greek and Gothic Revivals, Italianate, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles. The district includes
significant examples of the work of Northampton architect William Fenno Pratt. This potential historic district has
integrity of workmanship, feeling, setting, design and materials.
Continuation sheet 6