Towering View

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At the top of the highest hill in Mount Auburn Cemetery stands a granite tower. This tower has a spiral staircase inside that takes people to two observation deck levels where views of Cambridge, Boston, and the surrounding area can be seen. This tower is known as the Washington Tower, dedicated to the first President of the United States. It was designed by Dr. Jacob Bigelow with architect Gridley J. F. Bryant. The tower was built in 1853-54. It was constructed by Witcher and Sheldon of Quincy at a cost of $18,500. From the tower, other features of the cemetery can be seen, including the Bigelow Chapel that I posted a few days ago.

Bigelow Chapel 3

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I wonder if Quincy architect, Gridley Bryant, envisioned what the Bigelow Chapel in Mt. Auburn Cemetery would look like in its fall setting almost 170 years after helping to design it with Dr. Jacob Bigelow. The Quincy granite and autumn colors are a beautiful contrast together. You can see a springtime post of the chapel here and a monochrome image here.

Granite Railway 2

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This is where the first commercial railway got started: at the end of Bunker Hill Lane. The overgrown rail bed here was once used to move massive hunks of granite from the quarry site to the Neponset River where it would be loaded onto a barge and brought to the building site of the Bunker Hill Monument. It would be a challenge to move the massive blocks of stone specified for this project. Quincy architect Solomon Willard was determined to get it done and enlisted the aid of Gridley Bryant who conceived of the idea for a rail system and got it operating by 1827.

If you enlarge the picture below you can see some of the details in a model of this railbed that is based on work done by Quincy archaeologist, Richard Muzzrole. The roadbed is essentially a dry stone wall three feet deep. The "wall" supported massive granite sleepers that are spaced eight feet apart. The first rails were wooden, but they were eventually replaced with granite ones to help transport stone loads of 21 tons or more for a distance of 3 miles. The horse drawn railway cars were loaded from the bottom so as not to damage the stone blocks. This was a pioneering design achievement which has earned this site a designated National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

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I just discovered an excellent blog post about the Granite Railway: click "Stories in Stone" to see the old rail car and find out more about this fascinating piece of Quincy's history.

Bigelow Chapel

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This Gothic Revival Chapel from the 1840s is located at Mt. Auburn Cemetery and was designed by Dr. Jacob Bigelow working with Quincy architect, Gridley Bryant. This chapel is constructed of Quincy granite and is used for memorial services and soon will be used for wedding receptions. Visit Clulessinboston to see the exquisite stained glass windows from inside and meet the director of services and functions in this chapel.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday everyone!

Granite Gatehouse

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This is the Egyptian Revival Gateway to Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. What is the Quincy connection you ask? You may have guessed that this Gatehouse was made of Quincy Granite for a mere sum of $9,500 in 1842. The designer, Dr. Jacob Bigelow, designed this Gateway to be imposing, enduring, sacred, and sublime. I don't know that this picture does it justice but it is all those things.

Mt. Auburn Cemetery began the "rural" cemetery movement out of which grew America's public parks. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is recognized as one of the country's most significant cultural landscapes that was founded in 1831 and modeled after Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

If you have an interest in trees, birds, sculpture, monuments, granite carving, walking or visiting the final resting place of many famous residents like Charles Bulfinch, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Winslow Homer, Buckminster Fuller, Amy Lowell, Fannie Farmer, or art patron, Isabella Stewart Gardner, to name only a few, this is a "must visit".

Numerous monuments and gravestones were made with Quincy granite here. Come back tomorrow to see the incredible Gothic Revival style chapel that Quincy architect Gridley Bryant designed along with Dr. Jacob Bigelow. Also visit my compardre's blog, Clulessinboston for his take on this special place.