Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn Mount Auburn as a Horticultural Innovator | Page 23

Beautifying Mount Auburn: John Winthrop’s Philanthropic Commitment Mount Auburn Cemete ry remains a treasured cultural icon that seamlessly interweaves the facets of history, horticulture, preservation, and service. Innovative sustainable practices and an ecological awareness seal its relevance and resonance within today’s world. There are a variety of ways to support this beloved place and ensure that its wonderful legacies remain intact for future generations: by becoming a member of the Friends of Mount Auburn, by volunteering here, or by giving to the Annual Fund–and by including this unique institution in your gift planning through a bequest, charitable gift annuity, or charitable remainder unitrust. A Charitable Remainder Unitrust is a trust, which is set up to pay a return or fixed annual percentage of 5 percent (or more) of the net fair market value of the assets placed in the trust. The trust assets are revalued annually. John Winthrop of Charleston, S.C., decided to include Mount Auburn in a charitable remainder unitrust. He has several ties to our landscape and the Boston area; most notably, he is the 11th generation direct descendant of John Winthrop, the first Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century. And many people in his mother’s family dating back to the 19th century are buried in the Bartlett lots on Raven Path at Mount Auburn. Top: John Winthrop (1588-1649) 1834 (oil on canvas) by Charles Osgood (1809-90) © Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, MA, USA/ The Bridgeman Art Library Above: John Winthrop Right: The Bartlett family lot. (Lot 4495, Raven Path) Although he and his wife, Libby, currently reside in South Carolina, he makes frequent trips to Boston, and Mount Auburn is a special place for him for a few reasons. “First, it’s beautiful,” he says. “Second, there’s a lot of history there, and I managed to go through four years at Harvard (Class of ’58) without taking a single history class so I am trying to make up for my sin.” John also referred to the death of his uncle, Arthur Lincoln Bartlett, in 2004. “When I buried my uncle, a light bulb just went off, and I thought ‘This is where I want to be.’” John also extols the virtues of growing trees, and an additional part of his philanthropy has been through generous donations earmarked to “beautify Mount Auburn.” He has also helped us tremendously with research on the Winthrop and Bartlett families, referring us to his pub- lished book, Family Tree (2007), as a resource. A self-proclaimed “working stiff at age 74,” John runs a money management firm in ad- dition to being a trustee, timber farmer, and part-time journalist. He has four sons, two grandsons, and a third grandchild on the way. To learn how including Mount Auburn in your gift planning can help you meet your philanthropic goals, please contact the Development Office, at 617-607-1946 or [email protected]. Fall 2010 | 21