1864-01 Annual Report of the Trustees of the Cemetery of Mount Auburn, Together with the Reports of the Treasurer and Superintendent. January, 1864.

ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

TRUSTEES

Cemetery of Mount Auburn,

TOGETHER WITH

TREASURER AND SUPERINTENDENT.

JANUARY, 1864.

BOSTON: 1864.

J. H. BASTBURN’S PRESS

This page is blank

TRUSTEES’ REPORT.

THE Cemetery of Mount Auburn, the earliest establishment of its kind in the United States, continues to take precedence in appearance and preservation over most of those which have since been constructed on its model. The general condition of the grounds is satisfactory, the roads and paths are in good repair, and the whole aspect of the Cemetery has been improved during the past year, by the introduction of many new monuments and stone inclosures, of beautiful and elaborate workmanship.

The eminence called on the maps “Cedar Hull,” and well = as being the site of the Appleton Monument, has been wholly remodelled, and converted into a symmetrical mound of oval shape, uniformly turfed, and made accessible to carriages by a new avenue. ‘This has been done at the voluntary expense of William Appleton, Esq., and it will hereafter constitute one of the conspicuous ernaments of the Cemetery.

The fountain on Thistle Path, announced as contracted for in the last Annual Report, has been completed, together with its basin, pipes, and drains, and has been in satisfactory operation for a number of weeks during the fall. The adjacent land, as stipulated in the contract, has been conveyed to Mrs. A. Hemenway, to be forever kept open, and the sum of $6,000, in conformity to the agreement, has been paid by her to the Treasurer. ‘The remainder of the low land in which the fountain is situated, is in process of reclamation by the removal of the mud, and by replacing it with gravel tosuch a height as to render it ornamental and suitable for Cemetery purposes. "

Tn connection with this operation, with the consent of the proprietors, the summit -of Laurel Hill in the same neighborhood has been taken off, and the gravel used to make the new land in the bog. This process, while it improves the appearance of the hill, is sure to prove remunerative to the Corporation from the sale of the newly made land, and of some of the steep SCRE gs which are now made more level and available.

The new public lot called St. Matthew's Lot, situated on Spruce Avenue, is completed and enclosed by a hedge. It contains 19,609

4

square feet, and 633 single grave plots as exhibited on the plan. The present price of these, including the fee of interment, is fifteen dollars.

An extension of time has been allowed to the contractors for the granite front of the new catacomb upon Rosebay Avenue, who have continued their efforts to eradicate the stains from the stone in that structure, but hitherto, it is feared, without success.

It is again earnestly urged on the attention of those Proprietors who have not taken care to affix bounds or land marks to their lots, that they are liable to the loss or removal of their lots at any time, in consequence of this neglect. Itis also especially recommended that those Proprietors who have made no provision for the future preservation of their lots, should give to the repair fund, either by donation or bequest, the small sum requisite to keep them in future repair; or at least that they should designate in their wills some suitable person to represent or succeed them as Proprietor. This precaution. may prevent the lots from hereafter falling into decay in the hands of careless or non-resident parties.

In the matter of the suit against Mr. Jonathan Mann, referred to in the last Annual Report, a trial was had in the Supreme Judicial Court, before the Jury, in March, 1863, which resulted in a verdict of about two hundred and fifty dollars in favor of Mr. Mann. On motion of the Counsel for the Corporation, this verdict was set aside by the Court, as contrary to law and evidence; and the case stands for trial in April next.

By the Treasurer’s Report it appears that the amount of the permanent fund for the future support of the Cemetery is now $35,596.52. The repair fund now amounts to $20,099.08. The amount of invested property exclusive of the above, together with the balance of cash in the Treasurer’s hands is estimated at $27,580.29. The sales during the past year have been unusually large, and notwithstanding the high price of labor and materials, it is trusted that the result of the year's operations will be satisfactory to the Proprietors.

By Order of the Trustees, JACOB BIGELOW, President.

Boston, January 25, 1864.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT.

To the Trustees of Mount Auburn Cemetery,

GENTLEMEN,—

Tn accordance with the requirements of the Trustees, I herewith transmit the Annual Report of the Superintendent, for the year ending December 31st, 1863, as per accounts of his department.

Number of Original Interments for the year ending December 31, 1868, has been 582 Numbers of Removals from other Cemeteries, 116 Total number of Interments for the year, 698 Number of Interments in the Public Lots for the year, 67 Number of Deposits in the Receiving Tomb for the year, 53 Total number of Interments in the Cemetery to date, 12,173 Number of New Lots graded, and bounded with Granite Posts, 8l Number of Old Lots improved by being newly Graded and Sodded, 143 Number of Old Lots bounded with Granite Posts, 10 Number ofLots enclosed with Granite, 80 Number of Fences erected, 6 Number of Tombs built, 4 Number of Monuments erected 2

Respectfully submitted, DANIEL L. WINSOR, Superintendent Mount Auburn Cemetery. Mount Auburn, January 14, 1864.