Preservation of the Scots ’ Charitable Society Lot Fence
By Andrew Gambardella , Associate Director of Grants & Communications ne of the most unique spots at Mount Auburn , which lies just across from Consecration Dell , is the fenced lot belonging to the Scots ’
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Charitable Society .
Founded in 1657 in Boston , the Scots ’ Charitable Society is among the oldest charitable organizations in the United States . It helped innumerable Scots immigrants with relief in time of need and continues to do so to this day . In 1841 , the Society purchased a lot at the intersection of Fir and Walnut Avenues at Mount Auburn , to provide dignified burial space for working-class individuals who did not have families or resources . The majority of interments took place between the 1840s and 1890s , with respiratory diseases , including tuberculosis , bronchitis , and pneumonia , the most common cause of death . While it was not uncommon for the impoverished to be buried without individual grave markers , the Scots ’ Charitable Society wanted to honor the dead with a lasting memorial – the fence itself .
The ornate cast-iron that surrounds the lot was designed by architect Theodore Voelckers in 1847 and fabricated by David Miller of Boston . The fence is adorned with symbols evoking the Scots heritage of the deceased , including thistles , battle axes , rampant lions , and images of St . Andrew , patron saint of Scotland .
The fence is also significant as one of the few iron fences still intact at Mount Auburn . In the early years of the Cemetery , many lot proprietors chose to enclose their family lots with such ornamental fences ; by the 1860s , over 1,700 of them were installed . Fashions changed , however , and popular opinion began to perceive iron fence art as a cluttered hodgepodge , like a patchwork quilt . Granite curbing replaced iron fences at many family lots . By 1871 , the Cemetery began writing to lot owners , offering to remove the fences “ at no extra charge ,” as documents in the Historical Collections attest .
Over time , however , Cemetery stakeholders began to appreciate the historical and aesthetic importance of the early cast-iron fences . In 1993 , Mount Auburn developed a Master Plan recognizing the importance of preserving our landscape ’ s early ornamentation , and we are now committed to preserving the 62 historic lot fences that remain .
Most of the iron fences that dot our landscape contain common decorative motifs of the Victorian era , including the downturned torch signifying the extinguishment of life , the evergreen laurel wreath symbolizing immortality and triumph over death , and pineapples as a symbol of hospitality . Some of these fences , including the Tinsdale-Hewins lot ( Hyacinth Path , Lot 1080 ),
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