people & happenings
ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL : A NEW STORY CHAPEL COLUMBARIUM PATHWAY
By Beth Brown , Vice President of Institutional Advancement
n the spring of 2023 , Mount Auburn will begin an essential accessibility
I project at one of its most visited public buildings : a landscaped pathway with a wheelchair-accessible route to the lower-level Columbarium of Story Chapel , which houses the cremated remains of over 2,000 individuals .
This project has long been in the works but it has now been facilitated by the extraordinary generosity of a private donor . Since his wife passed , the donor has not been able to visit her final resting place in the Columbarium as the entrance is not accessible via wheelchair : the historic structure was built before elevators were commonplace .
Currently , the Columbarium is accessed on the south side of Story Chapel by a series of seven steps on the exterior of the building and an additional five steps on the interior . This configuration makes access difficult for visitors with mobility challenges and impossible for those in a wheelchair .
The new pathway will allow seamless access directly into the Columbarium for all visitors . It will originate at the west entrance to Story Chapel , curve around the building and along Fountain Avenue , and end up at the east end of the building . The extant Columbarium entrance there will be replaced and upgraded with an automatic door opener .
To build a path that slopes gradually from Fountain Avenue to the Columbarium ’ s east entrance , significant regrading will be necessary in the area immediately east of the Chapel . As conceived , the gentle path will wind in a serpentine route through the regraded area to a landing outside the east entrance . The regraded area will create a sloping bowl-shaped zone outside this east entrance and provide space for new garden plantings along the path and around the landing . Additional interior improvements in the Columbarium will include cleaning of stonework , painting , lighting upgrades , and new furniture .
The new pathway also enables wheelchair access to the lower level of the Administration Building . An additional path will branch off as it winds to the Columbarium , continuing northward toward an existing lower-level entrance . A new doorway with an automatic opener and an interior ramp will complete the accessibility upgrade . As the lower level of the Administration Building houses portions of our Historical Collections and Archives , the new path will provide unimpeded access to our historic documents and genealogical resources for visitors and volunteers .
With this new pathway we are witnessing the powerful impact of philanthropy . By investing in Mount Auburn Cemetery , we as individuals can be part of something bigger than ourselves .
As Mount Auburn continues to grow and adapt , all buildings and public areas will be methodically evaluated to improve accessibility . This project , one of many , moves us ever closer to fulfilling our mission of affording a beautiful place in which the living may commune with and mourn the dead .
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