Broad Street Cemetery Introduction - November 24, 2020Broad Street Cemetery Preservation Plan
Salem, Massachusetts
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INTRODUCTION
The Broad Street Cemetery, established in
1655, is Salem’s second oldest burial place
and a contributing resource to both the
Chestnut Street National Register Historic
District and McIntire Local Historic District.
The property holds several hundred
gravestones, monuments and tombs dating
from the late 17th century into the 20th,
marking the burials of many prominent
Salem families including Pickering, Lambert,
Dodge and Goodhue. The property also
serves as a passive recreation space to the
dense surrounding neighborhood, providing
a grassy, shady spot for strolling, resting and
picnicking.
During its first 300 years, the cemetery
appears to have been well-maintained, first
as a Colonial era burial ground, and beginning in 1800 as a modern Victorian cemetery. The mid-20th
century brought a period of decline, when trees aged and historic features eroded. By the early 2000s,
much of the landscape, including fences, pathways, tombs, walls and gravestones had deteriorated
leaving the cemetery in a state of neglect.
In response to mounting concern over the cemetery’s poor condition, the Salem Cemetery and
Historical Commissions, together with a newly formed Friends of Broad Street Cemetery, stepped
forward. Working with the city’s Office of Planning and Community Development, they applied for
and were awarded Community Preservation Act funds to develop a long-term preservation plan. The
foregoing document is the result of this collaborative effort.
PROJECT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
Through this project, the City of Salem aimed to devise a plan for preserving and enhancing the Broad
Street Cemetery landscape. This goal included improving appearance, restoring access, and expanding
its role in interpreting Salem’s history to residents and visitors. Objectives for meeting this goal
included:
Documenting and assessing existing conditions with a focus on grave markers and tombs,
retaining walls and fencing, circulation and access, and landscape features including trees and
vegetation;
Making specific recommendations for conservation, restoration and site improvements;
Establishing priorities and phases for implementing the recommendations;
Providing cost estimates for recommendations;
Developing a plan for maintaining the cemetery on an annual cyclical basis.
The Broad Street Cemetery lies on 2.2 acres between Summer,
Broad, Winthrop and Mount Vernon Street and holds the remains of
many prominent 17th, 18th and 19th century Salem families.
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PRESERVATION PLAN PROGRAM
At the commencement of the project, the
city identified the following be addressed
in the plan:
Enclosure and Access. The
conditions of fences and walls
surrounding the cemetery,
including iron picket fencing/cast
iron posts, cut stone walls, and
concrete retaining walls/wood
picket fencing varies and only one
formal entrance functions. Several
makeshift entrances have been
established, contributing to the
cemetery’s unkempt appearance.
Circulation. The cemetery
contains no established pathways,
further compromising easy access.
Vegetation. The cemetery contains several varieties of trees and shrubs, both planted and
volunteer, in various states of health.
Gravestones, Monuments and Tombs. Many of these features have deteriorated, and others,
such as several tomb markers, are altogether missing.
Signage. Currently, the cemetery is marked with one prominent sign, located near the
Winthrop Street entrance, containing the names of some of the notable burials.
Site Amenities. The existing trash receptacle, located near the Winthrop Street entrance and
used primarily for the disposal of dog waste, further detracts from the cemetery’s historic
character.
The Thomas Perkins tomb, located near the eastern end, is one of 80-
95 tombs found at Broad Street. Many have lost their above-ground
markers, making them hard to locate.
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BROAD STREET CEMETERY
BEGINNINGS (BEFORE 1655)
Origins of the Broad Street Cemetery date to
the early 1600s and the initial settlement of
Salem. Europeans, led by Roger Conant,
came to Salem in 1626, first naming the
settlement “Naumkeag” after the indigenous
tribe inhabiting the area. In 1629 the
settlement received its charter from the
English monarchy and changed Naumkeag to
Salem. By the 1630s, the first burial place,
known today as the Charter Street Cemetery
had been established.
As early as 1637, land that would become the
Broad Street Cemetery was associated with
Francis Lawes (ca. 1595-ca. 1665). Lawes was
born in Norwich, England, and apprenticed
as a worsted weaver, living in the parishes of
St. John Maddermarket and St. Mary Coslany
until embarking, with his wife Lydia, to
America in 1637. Arriving in Boston on June
20th and proceeding immediately to Salem,
Lawes acquired through grant and purchase, a
large estate bounded by what are now Essex,
Summer and Broad Streets and the Pickering Estate. He constructed a home on the north side of
Broad Street facing the street that remained in the family until 1830. The land on the opposite (south)
side of Broad Street, known as Lawes Hill, was “common land.”1
CEMETERY ESTABLISHMENT (1655-1780)
Town records from 1655 reported an order that “there shall be a burial place on the hill above Francis
Lawes’ house.” First referred to Lawes’ Hill Burial Place” and later “Ye Old Common Burying Hill,”
the property consisted of approximately 2.2 acres ascending from Broad Street to a high point. The
road leading to Governor Endecott’s “broad field” lined the eastern edge and a gate stood at the
easterly corner. Town records indicate that the burial ground remained unenclosed until 1732 when a
fence was erected with a gate located near the center of the north edge. The oldest extant gravestone,
located near the south edge and marking the interments of Daniel and Mary Lambert, dates to 1693
although burials, no longer marked, may have been made during the 38 years preceding this.
1 Davis, Walter Goodwin, The Ancestry of Sarah Stone, wife of James Patten of Arundel (Kennebunkport) Maine,
78-81. While Francis and Lydia Lawes are not known to be interred at the Broad Street Cemetery, their
descendants are, including members of the Neale family.
The 1820 Saunders map of Salem shows undeveloped land on the
south side of Broad Street. At the time this was considered
“common land.”
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The cemetery landscape during this time reflected the Colonial style of burial. Individual graves,
arranged in short rows, were marked with portal-shaped tablets made of native stone.2 The artwork of
local gravestone carvers appeared in the tablets’ tympanums. Aside from excavations associated with
burials themselves, the landform was unaltered, and trees, if any, consisted of species native to New
England.
EMBELLISHMENT (1780-1900)
In 1780, the property was renamed as the Broad Street Cemetery, marking the beginning of period of
transformation from a Colonial era burial ground to a modern Victorian era cemetery. In 1802,
eighteen proprietors commissioned stonemasons John Dodge, John Stimpson and Hooper Stimpson to
construct a row of underground tombs along the “north side of the burying-hill,” beginning at the east
side of the front gate. The proprietors paid $2,160.00 for the work. Numbered 1 through 18 from
west to east, the tombs were built according to the following specifications:3
“The northern or back wall of the tombs to be continued up to the surface of the
street, upon which is to be built a wall four feet ten inches high, one foot thick, face
2 Slate from this early period may have been derived from imported stones used as ballast in the shipping industry.
3 The tombs were constructed entirely underground and are not visible, however markers were placed above the
tombs and most remain in place today.
Mid nineteenth century embellishments to the cemetery included terracing of the north slopes, fencing the perimeter,
creating two formal gates, and connecting them with a carriage road (right of photo). Between 80 and 95 tombs
were built into the terrace slopes. (PEM/Phillips Library Collection, Frank Cousins photograph, 1870-1890)
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rocks at least twelve inches deep,
and the remainder of the wall to
be made of hard burnt brick,
with nitches (niches) over each
tomb to receive a slate of
suitable size…
…[T]he tombs to be built with
abutments or partition walls of
face stone eighteen inches thick
and three feet six inches deep,
between the tombs; up on the
abutments to be built brick
arches eight inches thick of the
hardest burnt bricks, making
each of the tombs eight feet
deep in the clear, in the deepest
part of the arch; each tomb to
be thirteen feet long and nine
feet wide in the clear, and eight feet deep as aforesaid…
…[T]he entrance to each tomb to be three feet wide with a suitable head, with six or
seven stone steps…
…[T]he whole of the tombs to be covered with earth at least eighteen inches deep on
the highest part of the crown of the arch, and smoothed and leveed, with a descent to
cast off the water. The back wall
and head wall to be of at least
fifteen inches thick to each
tomb.”4
Salem incorporated as a city in 1836,
shortly thereafter began making
significant improvements to the
cemetery. In 1841, the city funded the
planting of trees in the “front” of the
cemetery and in 1856 enclosed the
property with an iron picket fence set on
granite curbing. It is likely that the cast
iron gates were erected in conjunction
with the fence, establishing formal
entrances on the east and west sides, and
cast iron markers were appended to the
fence to mark the eighteen underground
tombs. A carriage road was installed
along the north edge, connecting the two
4 Watkins Family Papers, 1708-1830, Folder 3, Peabody Essex Museum. For a complete transcription of the tomb
specifications, refer to the Bibliography section of this plan.
Between 1855 and 1885, a shaded walkway separated the cemetery (at
right) from the adjacent schools. Elms lined the walkway’s north side
and cast iron bollards prevented use of the walkways by carriages.
(PEM/Phillips Library Collection, Robinson photograph, 1885)
The eighteen tombs were built entirely underground and are not visible,
however markers stand above ground atop most of the tombs, including
one with “door” inscribed on its west face.
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gates. Manipulation of the cemetery slopes also took place, shaping the “hill” into a series of terraces
descending the north side and creating spaces for private family tombs. Between 80 and 95 tombs were
built into these terraces, each marked with individual monuments and/or stone façade walls. The
granite block retaining walls supporting the east and west cemetery edges were likely built around this
time. Tree planting continued at the cemetery into the late 19th century, including several “several
scarce introduced trees,” as documented by John Robinson in 1891. Species included red pine,
European ash, weeping willow, European white birch and European beech.5 Nurseryman Harlan P.
Kelsey, who resided in Salem after 1902 and added trees at locations within the city including gingko
and witch hazel along Broad Street, is believed to have added several varieties of crabapple trees to the
cemetery, several of which may remain today.6
During this time, Salem constructed three school buildings along Broad Street, adjacent to the
cemetery’s north side. These included the Oliver Primary School (1818 with several modifications by
1869), Salem Normal School (1854), and Salem High School (1855). A promenade-like pathway,
shaded by towering elm trees, separated the school complex from the cemetery, greatly enhancing its
setting. A pair of cast iron bollards stood at each end of the path presumably to prevent its use by
carriages.
MODERNIZATION (1900-PRESENT)
Beginning in the early part of the 20th century, the cemetery
entered a period of modernization, followed by decline. In
1941 the city engineer prepared plans for a concrete block
retaining wall to be built along the south edge to replace an
earlier wall.7 The plans specified a concrete cap and 4’
chain link fence for the top of the wall, and construction
was completed in 1942. Sometime in the late 1900s, the
city removed the chain link fence along the south edge and
replaced it with wood picket, painted white. In the 1950s
and 1960s, elms that once filled the cemetery and lined the
pedestrian path along the north edge were removed through
city-wide effort to control elm disease. The carriage road,
no longer used for this purpose, was removed and/or
covered with turf, and the pedestrian path between the
cemetery and schools was replaced with asphalt parking
areas. By the end of the 1900s, the cemetery appeared
neglected, with many deteriorating headstones and trees in
declining health.
5 Robinson, John, Our Trees: a popular account of the trees in the streets and gardens of Salem, and of the native
trees of Essex County, Massachusetts, with the location of trees, and historical and botanical notes,1891, 8, 42,
72, 75, 89, 97. The red pine described by Robinson may be the species still growing along the cemetery’s north
edge.
6 Chris Burke, personal interview, October 20, 2020
7 Mount Vernon Street dates to the early decades of the 1800s. It appeared on the 1851 McIntyre map of Salem
but was not shown on the 1820 Saunders map. According to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information
System (MACRIS), the houses on Mount Vernon were constructed between ca. 1900 and ca. 1930.
The wood picket fence along the south edge
replaced an earlier chain link fence.
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In 2002, the city attempted to address the
conditions at Broad Street by commissioning a
study of its four historic burying grounds. While
the study made several preliminary
recommendations, it did not include detailed
restoration plans. Fifteen years later, a group of
history enthusiasts concerned about the
cemetery’s condition formed the Friends of
Broad Street Cemetery (FOBSC). In addition to
advocating for the property’s long-term
preservation, FOBSC organized tours and clean
up efforts, installed a pollinator garden, and
using social media, attracted a broad
membership. The group weighed in on the
scope of work for the foregoing preservation
plan and were active participants in the planning
process. Another recent effort by the city
involved conservation treatment of several
gravestones within the cemetery.
The city engineer’s drawing for the concrete block wall for the cemetery’s southern edge showed a 4’ height chain link
fence atop the wall. Crews constructed the wall in 1942.
The Friends of Broad Street Cemetery, established in
2018, created a scavenger hunt to help visitors familiarize
themselves with the historic property.
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HISTORIC CEMETERY STYLES
As summarized above, the Broad Street
Cemetery landscape evolved over the course
of 365 years, and with this evolution came a
change in its physical appearance.
Americans’ approaches to commemorating
the dead shifted over the centuries, and
variations in the landscape reflect these shifts,
as follows:
Colonial Burial – Approximately 1 1/3 Acres.
The earliest burial areas, located on the
highest points and along the south side,
exhibit characteristics of 17th and 18th century
American burials. Single graves dominate,
marked with portal-shaped tablets made from
native slate and sandstone and intricately
carved by local or regional artisans. Graves
are arranged in short rows but otherwise the
cemetery is unplanned or plotted. As was
typical of Colonial burial grounds, this area
of the cemetery does not contain roads or
paths.
Victorian Burial – Approximately 2/3 Acres.
Moving northward within the cemetery, the
landscape transforms from a Colonial era
burial ground to a modern facility. The
earthen terraces stepping down the north
slope contain rows of private tombs, and each
is (or was) marked by a tablet or obelisk, or is
faced with a granite wall. Family plots,
enclosed with curbs or copings and marked
with a large central monument, appear
scattered throughout the upper sections of
the cemetery.
PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE
The period of significance for the cemetery extends from 1655 to 1900. During this time, Salem
established the burial ground, enclosed it with granite walls and iron picket fencing, created two formal
entrances and connected them with a carriage road. The city graded the north slope making a series of
terraces and constructing between 80 and 95 tombs. Several species of trees were planted to further
embellish the landscape, providing dignity to the final resting places for many generations of Salem
families. All efforts to preserve the cemetery should reflect this 245-year period.
The Colonial style covers approximately 2/3 of the cemetery, located
above (south of) the terraces.
The Victorian style covers approximately 1/3 of the cemetery and
includes the terraces, tombs and former carriage road bed.
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LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT
The following section of the Broad Street Cemetery Preservation Plan is an assessment of the landscape’s
existing conditions. Its purpose is to document the natural built and functional features; to analyze
their condition; and to outline preliminary recommendations for preservation treatment.8 Together
with the information compiled about the cemetery’s history, the assessment provides a foundation for
the overall plan.
SETTING
The Broad Street Cemetery lies within the
McIntire Historic District, a 424-property
area named for renowned Salem architect
Samuel McIntire (1751-1811) who lived
near two blocks from the cemetery on
Summer Street. Laid out in the form of a
2.2-acre rectangle, the cemetery serves as a
shady green space, wedged between Broad
Street to the north, Summer Street to the
east, Winthrop Street to the west, and
Mount Vernon Street to the south.
Summer and Winthrop abut the cemetery
edges, while buildings – both institutional
and residential – stand between the
cemetery on Broad and Mount Vernon
Streets. The character of the surrounding
neighborhood is as follows:
To the North – Three historic former institutional buildings (Salem High School, Oliver School
Primary School (dating to 1818), and Salem Normal School), surrounded by an asphalt
driveway and parking lot, stand between the cemetery and Broad Street. These multi-story
brick buildings loom over the cemetery, but at the same time add a sense of privacy and
provide a buffer from Broad Street.
To the East – Private two- and two-and-one-half story, wood frame historic homes line the east
side of Summer Street, each painted in a bright hue, including grape, seafoam green, sky blue
and mauve. Summer Street is narrow and traffic is limited to one-way moving north, limiting
the amount of noise created by passing cars.
To the West – Private two-and-one-half story wood frame historic homes line the west side of
Winthrop Street, with gabled fronts facing the street. While traffic flows in two directions, the
street is narrow, forcing vehicles to travel slowly.
8 Preservation, as defined by the National Park Service, includes four treatment options: stabilization, restoration,
rehabilitation and reconstruction, as discussed at the end of this section of the Preservation Plan.
Three historic school buildings, no longer functioning as educational
institutions, stand between the cemetery and Broad Street. They loom
over the north side, but also provide a sense of privacy.
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To the South – Private two-and-one-half story wood frame historic homes sit close to the streets
on deepish linear lots, and the back yards abut the cemetery. Small sheds and/or garages
occupy some of the back yards. The cemetery sits at an elevation several feet above the back
yards.
EDGES
Each of the cemetery’s four edges is lined
with a different feature or combination of
features, providing complete enclosure. The
condition of these features ranges from
stable to quite poor, as described below.
Note that some features are further
discussed later in this section under
“historic structures.”
North Edge – a vertical granite curb
or “coping,” topped by an iron 4’
height single-channel, spear-topped
picket fence, lines the entire north
cemetery edge. The coping ranges
in height from 9 to 14” and is
heavily stained and soiled. Many of
the pickets have become disfigured
and all have significantly rusted, and
in some locations, the top channel is bent. Other signs of deterioration include a tree stump
pushing through the coping resulting in a dislodged coping stone; one section of fenced
replaced with flat-topped pickets; several fence panels leaning inward toward the cemetery;
sections of coping leaning into the cemetery; several bent, dislodged or missing pickets; a pipe
railing added to the top of pickets near the east end; a missing fence section; and parking-
related signs hanging from the channel on the outside of the fence. Small cast iron plaques
hang from the inside of the fence near the northeast corner, marking some of the eighteen
tombs buried beneath the cemetery surface in this location.
East Edge – the vertical granite curb or “coping” returns from the north edge around to the east
edge and continues to carry the picket fence. A tubular steel post, installed to replace a
decorative cast iron post, marks the northeast corner. The coping and fence continue
southward to a pedestrian gate flanked by two cast iron posts supported by 7’ high, 12” square
granite posts, and a double-leaved vehicular gate stands to the south of the pedestrian gate.
From this point southward, the east edge is retained by a bead-mortared cut granite block
retaining wall, ranging in height from 4 ½ feet to approximately 7 ½ feet. The wall appears
plumb with some shifting of blocks and bulging. The condition of this wall is discussed later in
this section.
West Edge – the vertical granite curb or “coping” rounds the corner of Broad and Winthrop
Streets and continues part way south along the west edge, carrying the same iron picket fence.
The iron picket fence and granite curb extend along the entire north
edge and wraps around a portion of the east and west (shown) edges.
The condition of this fence is mostly poor.
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At the corner, a single-leaved pedestrian gate and double-leaved vehicular gate, supported by
cast iron posts, mark entrances to the cemetery. Pickets along the east edge are all intact, as is
the channel. The fence ends at a 5’ high, 12” square granite column marking the beginning of
a cut granite block retaining wall topped with a pyramidal-shaped granite cap. Most of this wall
appears plumb, with one bulge (likely caused by roots of the adjacent oak tree standing inside
the cemetery. At the southwest corner, the wall has begun to deteriorate. Mortar has
dislodged and large gaps have formed between the cap and wall stones.
South Edge – A concrete retaining wall, designed and constructed during the WPA period
(1941-1942), lines the entire south edge. The wall face is not visible from inside the cemetery.
A white painted wooden picket fence rests atop the wall and is in poor condition with decaying
members and chipping paint. In addition to detracting from the cemetery landscape, the
fence allow views into the back yards of Mount Vernon Street residents.
PARKING & CIRCULATION
Visitors to the cemetery by vehicle must
park on the adjacent streets or in the
former High School parking lot; the
cemetery does not offer on-site parking.
On-street parking is available on the east
side of Summer Street or west side of
Winthrop, in designated parallel spaces.
The former High School building and
associated parking lot had been sold to a
private developer as of the writing of this
plan, and the future use of the lot by
cemetery visitors was yet to be determined.
Pedestrians may reach the cemetery via a
network of sidewalks and crosswalks leading
to and from Downtown as well as the
surrounding neighborhood. Sidewalks edge
both sides of Broad, Summer and
Winthrop Streets, and crosswalks provide safe crossings at street intersections. Asphalt surfaces most of
the sidewalks, however a short section of brick pavers stand near the cemetery’s Summer Street
entrance. The condition of both materials ranges from stable and ADA-compliant, to poor and non-
compliant.
Visitors may enter the cemetery at the northwest corner, where the historic pedestrian gate remains
open at all times. The Summer Street gate has been closed and secured with a lock. Makeshift
entrances stand (1) along the north edge where a section of the iron picket fence has been removed, (2)
at the southwest corner, where the perimeter granite block wall has deteriorated, and (3) at a mid-point
along the south edge, where a break in the picket fence allows visitors to pass through private property
(on Mount Vernon Street) into the cemetery. None of these entrances, formal or makeshift, is ADA-
compliant due to the presence of vertical curbing and granite or walls that must be traversed.
Parking has been provided for residents of the former school buildings
on the cemetery’s north side. Visitors to the cemetery have used this
area for parking too.
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Once inside the cemetery, pedestrians must travel unguided across the grassy lawns, as all
pathways/carriage ways have been removed, and ADA-compliant route exists that provides a navigable
route throughout. Visitors have worn a path at the northwest entrance leading into the cemetery, but
this path ends at the nearby terraced slope (discussed below) where it meets a set of granite steps.
Inside this gate, a set of granite steps, built on top of a tomb, lead up a steep terrace slope. These steps
have a shallow riser-tread ratio and are not secured by a handrail, making them non-compliant with
ADA guidelines. In addition, they are in poor condition and unsafe for visitors attempting to access
the cemetery’s upper terraces.
TOPOGRAPHY
Slopes across the cemetery divide into
three types, lower slopes, upper slopes, and
terraces. Lower slopes extend along the
north and portions of the east and west
edges, abutting the granite coping and iron
picket fence. This 0.25- acre area once
held the cemetery’s only known carriage
road, providing a level connection between
the east and west gates. Upper slopes
cover approximately 1.6 acres and likely
contain original, unaltered topography.
The landform across these slopes
undulates between a series of low points
and high points, providing long views
across the cemetery and to the
surrounding neighborhood. Separating
the lower and upper slopes are a series of
terraces (approximately 0.15 acre),
stepping down from south to north. Two
terraces, each containing tombs, descend the eastern end while a single terrace punctuates the western
end.
TREES & SHRUBS
Broad Street Cemetery contains a total of 51 trees, 25 trees per acre. Crabapples (Malus) constitute the
largest percentage (24%) followed by oaks (Quercus) at 18%. Other species include deciduous trees,
maple (Acer), linden or basswood (Tilia), honey locust (Gleditsia), elm (Ulmus) and black locust
(Robinia), and evergreen trees, cedar (Thuja) and pine (Pinus). Nearly all the trees grow on the upper
slope area of the cemetery.
The cemetery topography includes a terraced area near the north end,
where the land steps downward and is supported by rows of private
tombs.
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The trees range in age and condition, with
several “senior” oaks and younger
“volunteer” Norway maples. Approximately
one- third appear to be in very good
condition, including four oaks, two cedars,
three lindens, and one each of honey locust,
black locust, maple, elm, and pine. Most of
the twelve crabapples are in declining or
poor condition, and one is dead. The other
trees range from good condition (strong
central leaders, healthy branching) to poor
(split leaders, dead limbs, thin foliage).
In addition to the trees, the cemetery
contains four species of shrubs, barberry
(Berberus), spiraea, mulberry and forsythia,
and a small pollinator garden. At the
southeast corner, barberry grows atop the granite block retaining wall, and along the west edge, spiraea
grows near the set of tombs. The most prominent shrub planting, a row of evenly-spaced forsythia,
stands along the north edge. These plants have reached a mature height of approximately eight to ten
feet, helping to screen the cemetery from the adjacent parking lot. The Friends of Broad Street
Cemetery have introduced a small herbaceous perennial garden of pollinator species along the south
edge.
HISTORIC STRUCTURES
The cemetery contains several masonry
structures rimming gravesites (family plot
enclosures), holding interments (private
tombs), defining the edges (granite block
and concrete walls as well as cast iron and
wood picket fencing), and the condition of
these varies, as follows,
Family Plot Enclosures, in the form of
granite curbs or copings and fences,
surround family plots in the upper terrace
area. Outstanding among these are the
following:
Plummer plot, located near the east
end of the upper terrace, features
an iron spear-topped picket fence
standing on a vertical granite curb
enclosing plot of six family members. Egg-shaped finials top the fence posts. While rusted, the
fence is largely intact.
Of the cemetery’s 51 trees, several have reached maturity. Their broad
canopies form a roof over the landscape.
The Sarah Holmes plot, located near the west end, features four rock-
face granite corner posts, connected by a single steel pipe rail.
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Rhoades plot, located to the south and west of the Plummer plot, outlined with rock-face granite
curbing trimmed with a thermal edge, one curb per edge. The plot appears to hold several
graves, including father, mother and children, all marked with one granite headstone. The
curbs have separated at the corners and one curb section is leaning outward.
Sarah Holmes plot, located near the southwest corner of the upper terrace, features four rock-face
granite posts connected with steel pipe rail, enclosing the plot of a single grave. The posts
appear plumb and are in good condition, and while rusted and in need of repainting, the pipe
rail is intact.
Private Tombs
This section is forthcoming.
Granite Block Walls
This section is forthcoming.
Concrete Walls
This section is forthcoming.
Iron Fencing and Gates. As noted above under “edges,” an iron picket fence, resting atop vertical
granite curbing, rims the north side of the cemetery, and extends along portions of the east and west
sides. Decorative cast iron pedestrian (single-leaf) and vehicular (double-leaf) gates stand near the
northeast and northwest corners. The curbing, while intact, ranges from plumb to leaning, and in one
section, has altogether overturned. Grim covers most of the surface. The fence is in similarly poor
condition, with many bent or missing pickets. Near the east end, a pipe rail covers the tops of the
pickets, and “reserved parking” signs hang from the channel. The cast iron gates are inoperable, the
gate posts have rusted, and several post finials are missing. The post at the northeast corner has been
removed and a square tubular steel post serves as a replacement.
Wood Picket Fencing. Four-feet height wood picket fencing, constructed of 2” x 4” lumber and
installed atop the concrete retaining wall, extends along the full length of the south edge, providing a
barrier between the cemetery and back yards of the neighboring residents on Mount Vernon Street.
While most of the fence is intact, its condition is poor, with some members rotting, and much of the
white painted finish deteriorated.
GRAVESTONES & MONUMENTS
This section is forthcoming.
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LANDSCAPE ACCESSORIES
The city and adjacent property owners have placed signs and a trash receptacle in or adjacent to the
cemetery. The condition of these is as follows:
Signs. A prominent white sign with black lettering
stands inside the Winthrop Street entrance (northwest
corner), alerting visitors to the property’s establishment
date and listing the names of several notable individuals
interred within. While informative, the sign lacks
information about cemetery rules and regulations
(including opening-closing hours), and its large size
looms over the entrance, making the feature out of scale
with the cemetery landscape.
Other signs stand outside the cemetery, but similarly
conflict with its character. The owners of the former
school buildings along the cemetery’s north edge have
utilized the iron fence pickets as posts to which they’ve
attached parking signs for tenants. Not only are these
visually unappealing; they also encourage drivers to park
up against the fence. In several locations it appears that
vehicles have collided with and damaged the fence.
Trash Receptacle. As noted earlier in this report, the
city has maintained a steel trash receptacle outside the
Winthrop Street entrance for some time. In recent
years, visitors to the cemetery and other passersby have
relied on the receptacle for disposal of dog waste. The
city removed the receptacle in the summer of 2020, but
in response to strong local objection, restored it to the same location. Because dogs are prohibited
from entering the cemetery, there is no need to maintain a receptacle in this location. Not only does it
clutter the one operative cemetery entrance, it detracts from the landscape’s historic character.
LANDSCAPE DETAILS
Character-Defining Features
The Broad Street Cemetery landscape contains many details that both add to and detract from its
historic character, most of which have been discussed above. In summary, features that help to define
the historic character include:
Perimeter granite block walls
Cast iron fencing and gates on the east and west sides
Cast iron tomb markers along the north fence (east end)
Private tombs retaining the terrace slopes
Mature specimen trees in very good condition
Gravestones and monuments
The sign located just inside the Winthrop Street gate
displays the cemetery’s establishment date and lists
notable individuals interred within. It does not spell
out cemetery rules and regulations.
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Plot enclosures
Contemporary features that detract from the historic character include:
Wood picket fencing atop the concrete retaining wall (south edge)
Granite steps leading up the west terrace slope over the private tomb
Trees in declining or dead condition
Makeshift entrances along the north edge and southwest corner
Signs appended to the outside of the cast iron fence (north edge)
Historic features that once stood within the burying ground but have been removed include:
Functioning vehicular and pedestrian gates marking the east and west entrances
Carriage path linking the two entrances and extending along the north edge
Family plot enclosure details, including fencing
PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS
Future preservation efforts at Broad Street Cemetery will involve each of the four treatment methods
outlined by the United States Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
with Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes (1996). They include:
Preservation, where existing form, integrity and materials of the landscape will be sustained;
Rehabilitation, where features in the landscape will be repaired or altered to make their use
compatible with the landscape’s historical value;
Restoration, where landscape features will be returned to their original form; and
Reconstruction, where landscape features no longer extant will be restored.
Based on the preceding assessment, the following preliminary recommendations should be considered
for the Preservation Plan. Note that the recommendations do not appear in order of importance or
priority.
Restore the iron picket fencing and sets of gates along the north edge; include in this, cleaning
and straightening the granite coping supporting the fence;
Stabilize, as needed, the granite block retaining walls lining the east and west cemetery edges,
including cleaning and repointing, as required;
Remove the wood picket fence along the south edge and replace with a steel picket fence of a
style complementary to the iron fence along the north edge;
Work with the city to designate on-street parking spaces (Summer and/or Winthrop) for use by
visitors to the cemetery;
Re-establish the carriage path connecting the east and west gates;
Remove any diseased or dying trees, as well as any volunteer invasive species (such as Norway
maple);
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Develop a plan to replace trees with species appropriate to the two historic cemetery styles;
Expand and enhance the pollinator garden, integrating the design of the garden with other
cemetery needs (such as screening);
Stabilize the tombs per the recommendations of the historic structures assessment;
Conserve the gravestones and monuments identified in the assessment in need of treatment;
Restore the historic family plot enclosures;
Restore the eighteen cast iron tomb markers along the north edge;
Work with the city and developer of the former High School/Senior Center building to
upgrade parking, pedestrian circulation and overall aesthetics of the north edge;
Develop a sign program to (1) welcome visitors; (2) explain the cemetery’s historical
importance; (3) outline cemetery rules and regulations; and (4) direct visitors to prominent
features within the cemetery. As part of this program, design an interpretive program for those
visitors who cannot access the upper slope.
Develop a plan for securing the cemetery from vandalism and inappropriate uses, including
installing lighting and security cameras.
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