Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn A Healing and Meditative Landscape | Page 7

A State-of-the-Art Crematory
A new state-of-the-art Crematory housed within the
new addition will allow Mount Auburn to meet growing
demand for its cremation services in the decades to come.
New equipment, offering faster cremation times and
improved fuel efficiency, will greatly improve the quality
of its cremation services while supporting the Cemetery’s
commitment to being a model of environmental
stewardship. A clean, modern space will welcome funeral
directors and accommodate family participation in the
actual cremation process.
The highlight of Mount Auburn’s new Crematory is its
new Viewing Room. Within this space, families opting to
participate in the cremation process may gather to watch
as the casket enters the crematory retort. Families choosing
to do so will be able to press a button starting the actual
cremation. The act of observing a cremation is a practice
gaining in popularity in the United States. Though Mount
Auburn has been providing families with the opportunity
to observe the start of a cremation for many years, its previ-
ous facility was not designed with any ritual or ceremonial
gatherings in mind. By contrast, the Viewing Room, a
beautiful and serene space with its own private garden, was
designed to support family participation in all aspects of
the cremation process, a service we envision growing in the
years to come.
2018 Volume 1 | 5