Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn Community, Conservation & Citizen Science | Page 5

Sketch for a shared memorial by Karin Sprague Stone Carvers, Inc.
gardens happens to be for the burial of cremated remains.
At Spruce Knoll the remains are poured directly into the
earth, while urns containing cremated remains are buried
at Beech Garden and the Willow Pond Rain Garden lot.
Our recent Cemetery Development projects have
favored the creation of burial space for cremated remains,
rather than caskets, in reaction to the growing demand and
interest for cremation burial space. Presently, however, there
is still enough interest in casket burials that Mount Auburn
continues looking for creative ways to add more casket
space into the landscape. One new development that will
satisfy this demand is Crystal Avenue, which the Cemetery
narrowed from 20’ to 10’ last summer to accommodate
casket burials. The graves sold on Crystal Avenue have also
been planned to allow for small upright memorials.
For both casket and cremation burial space, the
most important defining characteristic of a new burial
development is how the individuals will be memorialized.
In general, Mount Auburn restricts the number of
structural elements being added to the landscape to
Recent expansion of Spruce Knoll.
Staff and trustees consider new burial options that will enhance the
Cemetery landscape.
ensure that we maintain the careful balance between art
and nature for which Mount Auburn is known. We also
understand how important it is to families to have some
recognition of one’s life carved in stone. Consequently,
many of Mount Auburn’s new developments are designed
with ‘shared memorials.’
The shared granite markers at Spruce Knoll, Beech
Garden, and the Willow Pond Rain Garden each allow
for the listing of 24 names, each name corresponding to
an individual whose cremated remains are buried near
the marker. In these cases, because Mount Auburn owns
the markers, families are purchasing both the right to be
buried and right to inscribe a name and dates on the shared
marker. At Beech Garden, families can opt to purchase their
own granite marker, though this private marker must still
adhere to the cemtery’s guidelines on size and material.
The Cemetery staff loves this landscape as much as
its visitors. Indeed, many of Mount Auburn’s own are
now buried here, too. We care for the all of it – resident,
monument, tree, and vale. It’s our honor to protect and
listen to this garden of graves.
Rain garden at Willow Pond.
2017 Volume 2 | 3