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NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) REL OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service JAN | 2 2001 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 8 NATIONAL REGISTER, HISTORY & EDUCATION NATIONAL PARK SERVICE This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructiens in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions.
Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property historic name CHELSEA GARDEN CEMETERY other names/site number. 2. Location street & number_ SHAWMUT STREET -_ not for publication city or town_ CHELSEA - vicinity state MASSACHUSETTS - code MA county_ -SUFFOLK- code_025 -zip code -02150 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this I nomination - request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property meets -does not meet the National Register Criteria.
I recommend that this property be considered significant - nationally - statewide I7 locally. (O See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Brona wre Signature of certifying official/Title Brona Simon january 8, 2001 Date Massachusetts Historical Commission, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion,the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. ( See continuation sheet for additional Comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title Date State of Federal agency and bureau 4. National Park Service Certification 1, hereby certify that this property is: C entered in the National Register - See continuation sheet. - determined eligible for the National Register - See continuation sheet.
- determined not eligible for the National Register - removed from the National Register - other (explain): Signature of the Keeper Elsar l/. Beall Date of Action 2/9/01 Chelsea Garden Cemetery Name of Property 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) - private x public-local - public-State - public-Federal Suffolk, MA County and State (Check only one box) - building(s) - district x site _ structure - object Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing Noncontributing 2 building sites _ structures _ objects Total Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) n/a 15 17 Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register 0 6.
Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) FUNERARY: cemetery Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) FUNERARY: cemetery Z. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation walls - roof other granite slate limestone marble zinc iron Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) MPS Form 10-900 OMG Aaprovel No. 1021-0016 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - Chelsea Garden Cemetery Chelsea (Suffolk), MA 7.
NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION Introduction Chelsea Garden Cemetery was founded on October 4, 1841 when a group of local residents formed themselves into a corporation intent on providing the town with a "rural" style cemetery based on principles of design in use at the 10-year-old Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. The cemetery is 420' long, 320' wide and comprises 3.16 acres of undulating terrain. Topography rises to its highest point in the southeast corner, approximately 20 feet above the lower points in the Consecration Dell in the south central portion. City employees estimate 1600 markers exist in the cemetery although cemetery records indicate over 10,000 burials took place between 1841 and 1980. Resource Types Interments in the Chelsea Garden Cemetery comprise many social, cultural, and professional groups. Most prominent upon entering from the Shawmut Street Gate is the Soldiers' Plot.
It is the site of approximately 24 Civil War Period markers arranged in an ellipse surrounding a central commemorative monument with an ornamental cannon facing the entry. Approximately two dozen more soldiers' graves are located behind the ellipse. A total of approximately 100 Civil War veterans who died in battle, prisons and otherwise are located throughout the cemetery. Obelisks are a common type of grave marker. The tall, four-sided tapering pillars record information about more prominent people in Garden Cemetery such as Thomas and Martha Furlong who in 1917 chose a limestone rendering to mark their plot. Several rectangular granite monuments and tablets exist. Examples marking the Townsend, Bickford and Bond family graves are between three and seven feet in height and two and four feet in width. Tablets and monuments are distinguished from obelisks by their stout proportions.
The most common type of marker is the slab, which in Chelsea Garden Cemetery is rendered variously in limestone, granite, slate, and in one case, zinc, also called white bronze. Tops of the slab-type markers are finished flat, in classically derived arches, Gothic arches, paired, shouldered and segmental arches. Burials of some of Chelsea's early Armenian immigrants took place under simple rectangular slab markers near the Consecration Dell. Tombs are present in the slopes north and east of the Consecration Dell. These are vaults built into the hillsides of granite and concrete. A group of eight tombs exists north of the dell, a group of two is on the hill to the east and one is to the south. Ornamental curbing delineates the boundaries of some plots. Curbing allows the ground to be raised within the plot and to delineate it from the adjacent plots and circulation paths.
This is most often done with granite but one marble example exists as well as evidence of cast iron fences used for the purpose. Movement through the cemetery is facilitated by paths built along contours of the sloped surface in the south, by stairs on the steeper terrain and on straight in the north. Circulation paths and the elevated site are the most prominent references of the Chelsea Garden Cemetery to the (continued) NP'S Forve 10-800e United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ Page _ OME Approvel Na 1024-0016 Chelsea Garden Cemetery Chelsea (Suffolk), MA influential Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. The cemetery is surrounded in part by granite retaining walls and by a fence of wrought iron and chain link.
Landscaping accomplished with trees and shrubs is another important aspect of the cemetery design. Cultural Divisions Few divisions among groups of residents appear at Chelsea Garden Cemetery. There do not appear to be specific sections for different religions or ethnicities as in some cemeteries. Previous research indicates the corporation was established as a non-sectarian, public organization. This speaks favorably of the city's long- established ability to assimilate new groups of residents into the population at large. There is, however, a grouping of military stones located southeast of the Shawmut Street Gate. It is the site of approximately two dozen Civil War Period markers arranged in an ellipse surrounding a central commemorative tablet with an ornamental cannon facing the entry. The Soldiers' Plot was dedicated on Decoration (later Memorial) Day, May 30, 1868.
Markers Grave markers in Garden Cemetery appear in a variety of forms, sizes and materials. The level of detail and refinement is also variable. The simplest markers are slate slabs that stand a foot tall and are eight inches wide. Inscriptions are impossibly cryptic, consisting only of numbers carved in the center of the stone. The supposition is that they mark graves of paupers or nameless children but researchers are not certain. The stones range in color from blue to gray and in at least two plots are arranged in groups of ten to twenty with some more traditionally carved and engraved markers interspersed. The slate markers are also arranged in smaller numbers elsewhere in the cemetery. A more typical marker is a slab of limestone or marble two to four feet in height with a rectangular or arched top: Gothic arches are common on mid-19th century stones.
These typically have some other ornament such as a section of beaded trim on the edge or carved flowers. Examples of the beaded trim variety are the group of four Gothic arched marble slabs near the northeast corner marking graves of Andrew and Lizzie Sargent and George and Charles Lothrop, all buried in the 1870s. The Mary G. Litchfield slab marker, however, has a flat top and floral designs abstracted in the Art Deco style that continued to be popular at the time of her death in 1945. Many graves of Civil War veterans and casualties are marked with slabs of this scale and level of refinement, including those located in the Soldiers' Plot. Another common marker type is the tablet that is typically larger than the slab and provides a greater sense of importance to those it commemorates.
The only brownstone example is carved with elements of the Gothic Revival style and marks the graves of G. W. and Sarah Gerrish. Many markers of marble, limestone and sandstone have faded lettering and approach illegibility. (continued) AF'S Formu 10-800e United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - OMB Aaprorel Na. 1024-0018 Chelsea Garden Cemetery Chelsea (Suffolk), MA The cenotaph commemorating the death, but not the burial of George Patrick is located south of the Consecration Dell. Captain Patrick was a sailor who died in Shanghai, China in 1884 and is presumably buried there, although a family member, Horace B. Patrick, appears to be buried in Garden Cemetery under this marker.
This unusual marker is made of hollow zinc (also called white bronze), manufactured by the Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, which operated from the 1870s until after WW I. The three-foot-tall imitation stone is made to resemble a shouldered arched slab marker. It is resting on the ground rendering its base unidentifiable. The marker is ornamented by an anchor with attached chain and a small urn atop the arch. This is the only known zinc monument in Chelsea Garden Cemetery. A second sailor's cenotaph is the limestone marker of Captain H. Olsen, carved to resemble a ship's broken mast. Captain Olsen was lost at sea in 1862 at the age of 43. Dramatic symbolism of this nature was commonly used during the period and comes to its height in Garden Cemetery in this marker.
Also named on the broken mast marker are James Gillard, a veteran of the war with Mexico who died in 1870, and his relative Elizabeth Gillard who died in 1912. A more abstract design signifies the Crafts/Lester plot with a granite cube perched on its corner in a notched granite stand. Israel F. Crafts who died in 1916 and his wife are buried here with John F. Lester, who died in 1884, and his two wives. Graves of the Munroe, Moody, Robinson, White and Donnell families are located in tombs near the Shawmut Street entrance. Two unnamed tombs are also here and may have been used by the town during cold periods when grave digging was not possible. A tomb for an occupant named Ross exists on the southeast slope above the former Garden Pond. Two additional tombs are located to the east but have a vandalized monument making the occupants' names illegible.
The sloping ground to the right, or south, of Winnisimmet Avenue creates a bank where the eight tombs were built between 1843 and 1861 according to dates carved in the pedimented granite lintels. Doors were originally cast iron attached to granite surrounds. Some are now missing or made of alternate material such as plywood. Each entry, separated by 8' of concrete retaining wall, measures around 4'x 4'. Three similar tombs exist south of the pond. The largest stone in the cemetery does not mark a grave. It is a commemorative obelisk, dedicated in 1916 to the founders of the Garden Cemetery, located just above the tombs near Winnisimmet Avenue and the Shawmut Street gate. The 20' granite marker is visible from outside the gates and is the tallest object in view other than the adjacent flagpole.
Plot Definition Several examples of plot defining features exist in the form of elevated ground and granite curbstones. For example, the Pettingill plot at the southeast edge of the cemetery is delineated by thick granite curbs that retain a foot of additional elevation within the plot. Low square ornamental piers with carved caps mark the corners. Access to the slightly elevated area is via a set of two stone steps flanked by short round piers with carved caps. Other examples of this type of stone-curb plot-definition exist at the Crafts, Pruden-Bolles, Lord and A. Johnson plots. A plot on Shawmut Avenue is marked at the corners by four hemlock trees. The trees are eight (continued) MPS Fomm 10-000e United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ Page .
OME Approvel Na 1021-0016 Chelsea Garden Cemetery Chelsea (Suffolk), MA feet apart and arranged in a square, marking corners of the Daniel and Caroline Spooner plot. The Spooners were buried in 1935 and 1940 respectively and are commemorated by a low slant maker. This appears to be the only example of this type of plot definition. There is fragmentary evidence of a cast iron fence to the northeast of President Square. A piece of the metal shaped in a fleur-de-lis was found in that area by gravestone researchers and is presumed to be a part of an ornamental plot defining fence. The vast majority of plots have no border boundary features at all. Paths and Avenues A historic landscape plan for Chelsea Garden Cemetery survives from the 1840s and tells a great deal about the intentions and influences of the designers and ways the existing conditions differ from the plan.
The site is a sloping rectangular parcel that is highest on the southeast border and adheres to the city's grid street pattern with the Chelsea-Shawmut Street corner facing north. The lowest point inside the cemetery is the circular area south of the center that was the location of the Garden Pond. The primary entry was planned for and continues to be located in the middle of the Shawmut Street frontage on the southwest. The entry gives onto Willow Avenue, one of many tree and plant names given to paths in the circulation network. This is the only access to the cemetery although a second entrance was planned for Chester Avenue but never built. A non-functioning gate exists on Central Avenue. The network of circulation paths in the cemetery is a primary feature of its artistic, rural style design.
The practical concept behind the curving, seemingly irregular paths was to permit access to all plots for pedestrians who could then avoid walking over uneven terrain and other plots. A circulation route around the perimeter labeled on the historic plan as Marginal Path has semi-circular looping paths at each rounded corner. This path survives and is surfaced alternately with grass, concrete and asphalt. Much of the hard-surfaced sections are broken up with age and lack of maintenance. The semi-circular corner loops survive as well and are surfaced in grass. The southern portion of the plan is a picturesque area of curving walkways arranged in the meandering, naturalistic style of Mount Auburn Cemetery. The ground is changeable in its elevation and influences the direction of some paths.
Burial plots are irregularly shaped with curved and straight edges depending on the configuration of adjacent walkways. On the 1844 plan, oval-shaped Garden Pond occupies the center of the low southerly section. The body of water no longer exists after having been filled in during the late 19* century but the outline remains on the ground. Overlooking the site of the pond on the early plan and still in existence are rows of concentric paths located on upwardly sloping ground. Paths are to the east on ground that rises as it recedes from the site of the pond, giving the effect of a natural amphitheater. Three concehtric paths currently exist rather than the eight that are depicted on the historic plan. Adjacent to the site of the pond is the Consecration Dell, a landscape component present in Mount Auburn and other rural cemeteries.
The purpose of the rounded clearing was to act in combination with the pond as a central (continued) MPS Forma 10-800+ OMG Approvel No. 1024-0016 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Chelsea Garden Cemetery Chelsea (Suffolk), MA Section number -/ Page - point for quiet reflection. The dell also acts as the focal point for another curvilinear portion of the circulation network. According to the 1844 plan, the area between the dell and the southwest corner of the cemetery was to be a pattern of paths bordered by a corner of Marginal Path which meets Willow Avenue at the south in a curve of decreasing radius. The appearance on the plan of this section of the network suggests the influence of a botanical drawing, possibly a lilac leaf.
The existing condition of this section of the design differs slightly from the image on the plan by virtue of its straight paths oriented diagonally toward the southwest corner and the elimination of the curve of decreasing radius at Willow Avenue and Marginal Path. North of Garden Pond and Consecration Dell, the network becomes more geometric and regular in its plan. Rectilinear paths represented on the plan and currently in existence provide contrast to thecurving paths around the pond and dell. Paths are built at right angles to the perimeter of the cemetery. Square and rectangular burial plots are typical in the geometric area except near the rounded corners of Marginal Path. Each of the naturalistic and geometric areas of the cemetery occupies approximately half the cemetery. Division between them is achieved along Prospect and Winnisimmet Avenues.
Together, these paths form a double- curving axis that connects the Shawmut Street gate with the high ground in the southeast via President or Prospect Square, which is a burial plot that appears rounded on the plan but whose borders are not currently marked. Flanking the square, however, are intermittent granite curbstones that mark the edges of the Chelsea Street path that grows wider in aprotracted curve before meeting up with Prospect and Winnisimmet Avenues. Circulation Path Surfaces Circulation paths are varied in their surfaces. Little planning seems to have been involved in selecting surface material, as it is changeable even along individual avenues. The diverging paths immediately adjacent to the entrance are paved with asphalt. Pavement here remains in sound condition and gives way to grass and concrete within a distance of 30 feet from the gate.
Marginal Avenue is finished with asphalt near the Shawmut Street (northwest) side, concrete at Central Avenue (southwest) and grass along the northeast side. A similar variety of surfaces exist for Winnisimmet and Willow Avenues. The formation of concentric paths located on upwardly sloping ground east of the Garden Pond is surfaced primarily in grass with occasional segments in asphalt and concrete. The stairs comprising Summit Path, which bisect the concentric paths on the slope, are built of concrete. The curvilinear section of the circulation network west of the Consecration Dell has paths surfaced with grass. South of the dell and Garden Pond the surface of Willow Avenue is concrete. The geometric section of the circulation network in the north side of the cemetery is finished in concrete in the east and grass in the west.
The dividing line is the path to the planned but nonexistent Chelsea Street entrance. Much of the concrete and asphalt is severely cracked and weather-damaged to the point where grass sometimes obscures the original surface. (continued) NPS Form 10-800- OMB Approvel Na. 1021-0016 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Chelsea Garden Cemetery Chelsea (Suffolk), MA Section number - / Page - Fences, Gates and Walls A five-foot high wrought iron fence of slim vertical members exists along the city streets of Chelsea, Shawmut and part of Central Avenue. Halfway up Central Avenue, the fence turns to Chain link and continues as such along the southeast side that borders the backs of houses on Lynn Street. The entire perimeter is fenced although parts of the chain link sections are breached.
The Shawmut Street Gate is built of the same vertical wrought iron members as the fence. A second gate exists at Central Avenue but does not appear to be in use. A random ashlar granite retaining wall exists in the east corner of the cemetery. It is built with blocks ranging in size from one to three feet square and has a row of thick coping stones on top. The wall begins approximately halfway up the Central Avenue (southwest) side and continues to the southwest corner of the cemetery at Central Avenue and Shawmut Street. The wall rises to a maximum height of five feet along this side. The wall supports the side of Shawmut Street at a height of two to three feet between the corner of Central Avenue and the Shawmut Street Gate.
Vegetation A master plan for the cemetery completed in 1998 indicated the existence of 85 trees, many of which have grown voluntarily and not according to the historic plan. These types include Ailanthus, Cherry and Locust. Ornamental species that survive include Beech, Chestnut, Gingko, Hawthorn, Linden, Maple, Oak and Spruce. Trees are dispersed throughout the cemetery. The intention of the original planners appears from historic photos to have been the cultivation of shade trees, a condition that survives to some degree. The most intact ornamental planting is the group of four evergreens on the Shawmut Street side. Ground cover is almost entirely grass of varying levels of health. Many bare spots exist due to erosion and excessive shade. Buildings At least two different gatehouses have existed at the Shawmut Street Gate.
The first was a wood-framed building of one story with front-gabled roof. A false front with classical molding and cornice rose on the Shawmut Street side. The exterior was clad in wood clapboards and the windows were double hung sash. The building and wood fence of the time burned in the fire of 1908. The gatehouse was replaced in concrete after the fire and survived until the 1980s. The one-story facade was divided into three bays on the Shawmut Street elevation. It had three rectangular openings in its central bay and a single arched opening in each flanking bay. The exterior was stucco or concrete. The purpose of the gatehouse during this period was to mark the principal entry to the cemetery and to house maintenance equipment.
Later, caretakers appointed by city government occupied the gatehouse and were charged with discouraging misuse of the cemetery, a plan that succeeded into the 1970s, after which time the house was demolished. No gatehouse currently exists. Alterations Changes to the cemetery have been relatively few. At the time of its founding, Chelsea Garden Cemetery (continued) NºS Form 10-800e 18-44 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OME Aaprovel Na. 1024-0018 Chelsea Garden Cemetery Chelsea (Suffolk), MA Section number - Page. included a small artificial body of water in the south central portion as depicted on the landscape plan from 1844 and on maps from the period. Water was an important element to designers of landscaped cemeteries tor its ability to impart symbolic placidity to a place.
In Chelsea, however, the pond was filled in the late 19th century, the site planted in grass, finished with straight paths and used for burials. This may have been due either to the hillside location of the 50' wide body of water which would have been difficult to maintain or to the need for more space for burials. The neighborhood around the cemetery, along with hundreds more city blocks, burned to the ground in a 1908 conflagration. The fire drastically changed the nature of the residential section of Chelsea. It had been an upscale neighborhood with many elaborately designed Victorian Period homes but during reconstruction, it was transformed into the current array of simple, space-efficient three-decker homes.
Fencing around the cemetery wnd thi aroh aust alain bink en ces ve probaby inceled iuivo pales vithe copingntily, Lapdscae curemt elements such as the hedge at the perimeter were also destroyed in the fire. Vandalism and poorly planned maintenance have been the cause of the most obvious changes. Toppled and broken stones dominate the view across the cemetery. The historically transitional nature of Chelsea's population engendered little sense of pride in the city's resources which resulted in a great deal of destruction over many years in the 20* century. The careless attitude toward maintenance was perpetuated by the economic climate of the city that in 1991 had entered receivership due to extreme fiscal difficulties, a condition that endured until 1995.
There were instances where maintenance personnel were unable to determine the proper location of toppled stones and placed them inside tombs as a way of improving the appearance during cleanup efforts in the 1990s. For five years in the 1990s, at the encouragement of a young Boy Scout and residents of Shawmut Street, weekend volunteers removed trash that had reached depths of eight feet. While the cemetery continues to suffer in its appearance from acts of violence to grave markers, it is now quite clean of trash. The cleanup was due to the formation of the Friends of Chelsea Garden Cemetery, founded in 1990 by local resident Nadine Mironchuk with the mission of managing the grounds and raising funds for their restoration. Archaeological Description While no prehistoric sites are recorded in the Chelsea Garden Cemetery or within the general area (within one mile), sites may be present.
Original, undisturbed soils on level to moderately sloping terraced areas within the otherwise undulating cemetery terrain represent some locational criteria (slope, soil drainage, distance to wetlands) that may have been favorable for prehistoric site locations. In general, however, the lack of wetland resources within 1000 feet of the cemetery and extensive historic period disturbance from landscaping and burial excavations indicate a low potential for recovering significant prehistoric resources on the cemetery property. (continued) NPS Forme 10-800- United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _/ Page - OM6 Approval Na 1024-0016 Chelsea Garden Cemetery Chelsea (Suffolk), MA A high potential exists for locating historic archaeological resources in the cemetery locale.
Unmarked human remains may represent the most common historic archaeological resource in the cemetery. Unmarked graves from paupers and unknown persons coupled with poor cemetery records, vandalism and records destroyed in the 1908 Chelsea fire may all contribute to a significant number of unknown graves in the cemetery. The potential for locating unmarked graves is substantiated by the discrepancy between city employees who estimate 1600 markers in the cemetery and cemetery records that indicate 10,000 burials took place between 1841 and 1980. Entire graves including skeletal evidence may survive within the current bounds of the cemetery or in adjacent areas. Cemetery fencing was destroyed by the 1908 fire. Subsequently, new fencing was installed, possibly altering the cemetery boundary.
Fragments and entire grave markers may also survive as an archaeological resource as a result of vandalism and fire. Structural evidence may also survive from a 19# century wood framed gatehouse that existed near the Shawmut Street Gate and burned during the 1908 fire. Similar evidence may also survive from a concrete gatehouse that replaced the earlier gatehouse after the fire. The latter gatehouse was demolished in the 1970's. Archaeological evidence of artifacts associated with memorial services may also survive with individual or groups of graves. Archaeological evidence of landscape features should also survive in the Chelsea Garden Cemetery. Construction features and stratigraphic evidence of fills may survive from a small body of water depicted in the south central area on an 1844 landscape plan. The artificial pond was filled in the late 19t century.
(end) Chelsea Garden Cemetery 8. Statement of Significance