Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn In Celebration of 175 Years | Page 5

ideal for this same purpose in more delicate settings; jugs of
Art in the Great Outdoors
D2, an anti-microbial solution to kill the biological growth
Much of the preservation of monuments happens out on
especially hazardous to marble; and one of the most formi-
the grounds, a big challenge for everyone concerned. A
dable helpers in the workshop, a gantry—part tractor, part
Victorian marble sculpture at the Museum of Fine Arts has
forklift—capable of lifting stones or monuments weighing
guards to protect it, stopping people from touching it and
up to 4,000 pounds.
hurting it with oil from their hands. A roof shelters it from
As a result of the Cemetery’s recently completed strategic
the elements and extremes of temperature and moisture,
planning, which calls for an expanded and more systematic
and from bird droppings and falling branches. It has been
preservation program, we have hired architect and preser-
often noted that Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred
vation specialist William (Bill) Barry of Heritage Planning
Astaire did—except backwards and in high heels. Mount
and Design in Cambridge as a consultant. Bill—who has
Auburn is in the same kind of situation,
worked with such clients as the Com-
caring for a museum’s worth of art out
monwealth of Massachusetts, Harvard
in the open and an arboretum—simulta-
University, the Boston Public Library, the
neously and in the same place.
Preservation Resource Center in New
Today Preservation Supervisor Dave
Orleans, and St. Petersburg University
Gallagher
is at work on the Andrews
in Russia—will coordinate a task force
monument
(on Laurel Avenue). Dating
composed of Trustees, staff and outside
from
the
nineteenth
century, the monu-
experts to create comprehensive policies
ment consists of a marble tree trunk
for our conservation program that cover
adorned with delicately rendered bark,
both the wide array of Cemetery-owned
ferns, a book, an anchor and other items.
buildings, structures, historical collections
Dave used Akepox2010, a stone epoxy,
and infrastructure, as well as privately-
to mend the broken wing of a dove
owned monuments and mausolea. The
that appears to be taking flight from the
task force will also quantify our future
monument. He is now in the process
preservation needs, including the staff
of deciding how to reattach the dove,
required to ensure that our treasures are
probably with metal pins that will also
handed down intact to future generations.
indicate sections of the bird’s feet that
Mount Auburn’s Curator of Historical
have eroded away.
Collections Meg Winslow sees preserva-
Another view of the 19th-century granite
One big shift in thinking during the
goddess, as pictured on the cover, in the Gay
tion as “part of everything that we do,”
family
lot
on
Rosebay
Avenue
(Photo
by
past
decade has been to view mainte-
adding, “all of the staff is involved in
Jennifer
Johnston)
nance as preservation and to have the
preservation in one form or another.”
Cemetery staff regularly care for monu-
Today’s leaders in preservation attest
ments
rather
than
allowing
them to deteriorate to a crisis
to Mount Auburn’s impact on the field. “I think Mount
point,
then
raising
funds
to
bring in an outside consultant
Auburn has set a national standard in preservation,” says
to conserve them. Another change has been the recogni-
Susan Park, president of the Boston Preservation Alliance.
tion that “washing” is better than “cleaning.” Many monu-
“The stewardship there has been phenomenal. And under
ment surfaces, especially marble ones, are fragile. Cleaning
(President) Bill Clendaniel’s leadership, Mount Auburn has
practices in the past often harmed these surfaces—making
expanded its mission to make preservation and education
them even more vulnerable to damage from plant life, acid
an even greater priority.” In giving the Cemetery a Massa-
rain, and especially acid snow, which stays on the stone
chusetts Preservation Award in November 2006, the Massa-
rather than running quickly off it. Our newer and gen-
chusetts Historical Commission stated that Mount Auburn
tler methods of washing, taught to us by outside experts,
was being recognized “in honor of its 175th Anniversary
involve using a steam cleaner that can be moved as needed
and for its longstanding commitment to historic landscape
around the grounds. The result is fewer gleaming surfaces
preservation and public education programs,” which Sec-
but, more importantly, a slowing down of the inevitable de-
retary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin said, “have
terioration of these marble treasures.
become a model of stewardship for many historic proper-
ties throughout the Commonwealth and the nation.”
Not all preservation challenges are “set in stone.” Mount
Many more people visit
Mount Aburn as public
transportation improves.
1856
Individual monuments are added
to honor Civil War veterans.
1861-1865
Land from the old Stone Farm
section of the Cemetery is devel-
oped in the style of a landscaped
lawn.
1875
Spring 2007 | 3