Celebrating25Years
In 1986 , Mount Auburn ’ s President Alan Chesney announced the formation of the Friends of Mount Auburn , an organization established “ to reach out to the surrounding community and the world at large to explain the true value of Mount Auburn , to share the botanical beauty and tranquility of this sanctuary , to make known its history and its lessons to generations now living and generations to come .” This year the Friends celebrates its 25th anniversary and reflects on its achievements through the last quarter of a century .
The Friends established preservation as one of its primary interests with one of its earliest projects , the conservation of the monument for one of America ’ s first professional architects , Charles Bulfinch . In August of 1990 , the Cemetery removed the large limestone urn from the top of Bulfinch ’ s badly deteriorated monument because of safety concerns . Funds raised through the Friends allowed this historically and artistically significant urn to return to its perch in 1993 , following its cleaning , conservation , and stabilization . This early and successful fundraising campaign made it clear that the public was interested in supporting Mount Auburn ’ s preservation efforts . Since then , the Friends has raised the funds for several other preservation projects , including the restoration of Bigelow Chapel ’ s historic stained glass chancel
18 | Sweet Auburn
window in 2006 , and most recently , the preservation of the Robert Gould Shaw Monument on Pine Ave ( see page 14 ).
Protecting Mount Auburn ’ s world-renowned horticultural landscape has also been a top priority for the Friends since its founding . With support solicited through the Friends , the Cemetery has been able to replant the shores of Auburn Lake and Willow Pond , and to create a meadow of wildflowers on the hillside surrounding Washington Tower . While these three projects have drastically improved the Cemetery ’ s overall wildlife habitat and aesthetic qualities , no Friends-sponsored project has been as significant as the project to restore Consecration Dell . For more than a decade , the Friends has raised funds to allow the continued removal of invasive plant species and the planting of appropriate native New England woodland species . This ongoing project now allows the Cemetery to better celebrate the historic significance of the place where Mount Auburn was consecrated 180 years ago , while also providing a healthier habitat for the Great Horned Owls , Yellowspotted Salamanders , and other wildlife that make the Dell their year-round home . It is now almost impossible to remember what the Dell looked like before the Friends took on this important project .