#7 – The Old Burial Ground and Mount Auburn Cemetery
The Old Burial Ground was established around 1635, and it continued to be in use for new burials until the early 1800s. Many notable people were buried there, including Presidents of Harvard College, soldiers in the Revolutionary War, and members of prominent colonial families, such as the Vassalls and Olivers. The Old Burial ground sits just across from Harvard Yard and adjacent to the First Parish Church. When visiting the Burial Ground, one can certainly feel the historic age of the site. The weathered headstones are seemingly haphazardly scattered around the plot, with very little grandeur or decoration. The aesthetics of the Burial Ground reflect the Puritan values of the original Cambridge settlement. Many of the headstones contain images of death, intended to remind the living of their own mortality and to instill in the Puritan settlers a fear of death itself. The cemetery has a somewhat sterile feeling, with relatively flat land and simplistic landscaping.
Among those buried at the Old Burial Ground was Catherine Eyre Chauncey, wife of Charles Chauncey, the second president of Harvard. Catherine died in 1667 at the age of 62, and there is a very simple inscription on her small headstone. However, there was a poem found in a manuscript of epitaphs that included an ominous warning about death that reflects this Puritan value:
“Pale ghastly death hath sent his shaft
And hath by chance nigh broke our heart.
Deaths volleys sound, sad storms appear,
Mourning draws on: poor Harvard fear,
Lest this sad stroke should be a sign
Of sudden future death to thine.”
The Mount Auburn Cemetery, by contrast, is a beautiful and peaceful cemetery. The cemetery is much more well-maintained, and it is full of beautiful landscaping. The cemetery has no explicit religious affiliation, and it evokes a much more positive image of death. This reflects the late 19th century and early 20th century shift in religious tolerance. Those buried at this cemetery are surrounded by tranquil, natural beauty, and the aesthetics of the cemetery encourage more visitors than the Old Burial Ground. The Mount Auburn Cemetery promotes values that make clear its different spiritual perspective, including “openness, compassion, dignity, beauty, serenity, integrity, balance.”
One tomb that exemplifies the beauty and serenity of the cemetery is that of Isabella Stewart Gardner and her family. The tomb, built in 1859, overlooks Auburn Lake, and is surrounded by beautiful foliage. It is one of the most beloved tombs in the cemetery, bringing in many tourists and visitors to pay their respects. The tomb memorializes her life with a grand mausoleum, which contrasts greatly with the simple headstones of the Old Burial Ground. In addition, she is buried alongside her family, which demonstrates the importance of belonging and togetherness throughout the cemetery.
Another Cambridge landmark from the early 20th century that demonstrates these values is Harvard’s Memorial Church, which was built in 1932 to honor those who died in World War I. The Church, despite being a Protestant church, is interdenominational, and promotes its inclusivity to the entire Harvard community. Its services and programming are open to the entire community, and it encourages everybody to make use of the space as a “place of spiritual refuge.” Central to Harvard Yard, Memorial Church is a symbol of inclusivity, spirituality, and community.
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