Marcia Wilson and Snowy Owl visit Story Chapel in 2010
Wildlife at Mount Auburn: Eyes on Owls
Perhaps you've glimpsed the shadowy form of a Great Horned Owl in the Dell at Mount Auburn or heard the call of an Eastern Screech Owl on an early evening stroll along Fir Avenue.
Join naturalist Marcia Wilson and photographer Mark Wilson on Saturday, Feburary 18th for "Who's Watching You? Owls of the World" and meet some of the owls of New England live and up close...continue reading
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Person of the Month: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
One of the most popular poets of his time, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow played a vital role in familiarizing Americans with European literature, while maintaining a lifelong commitment to laying the foundations for native literature by giving form to American legends.
Hundreds of people gathered for Longfellow's funeral at Mount Auburn Cemetery in 1882 - including... continue reading
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Firs have single, needle-like leaves
Horticultural Highlight: Abies
Worldwide, there are about fifty species of true fir trees, within the genus Abies. All are evergreen, and often have a single trunk, with a superb, distinguished, symmetrical, habit. One can find thirteen different species of Abies throughout the Mount Auburn landscape. The most commonly found species here at the Cemetery are...continue reading
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Asa Gray Garden, Arthur Cushman Haskell, 1938, gelatin silver print.
Horticulture and a Tradition of Landscape Design at Mount Auburn
Researchers visiting Mount Auburn's Historical Collections Department will find a wealth of delightful and surprising details about the Cemetery's renowned horticulture,al landscape, and design legacy. "Horticulture is central to the work we do at Mount Auburn," Curator of Historical Collections Meg Winslow explains. "The subject of horticulture can be found in nearly all the records we create and preserve."
The variety of materials provides a rich historical context to the ways in which generations of landscape architects, gardeners, and horticulturalists contributed to continual transformations in the character and design of the Cemetery...continue reading
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Story Chapel with porte-cochere
February HistoryHighlight: Story Chapel Entryway
Story Chapel and the adjoining administration building were designed by architect Willard T. Sears and construction was completed in 1898. The stunning red sandstone exterior has changed very little over the years except in a few instances. In 1934 the tower was removed and in 1971 the badly deteriorated porte-cochere was taken down.
A current major initiative of the Cemetery and the Friends is to build a front entryway for Story Chapel that would make the Visitors Center more welcoming and accessible, as well as restore the historic integrity of the original porte-cochere...continue reading
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Beyond Our Gates: Events of Interest to the Community
Attention Watertown residents! Are you interested in gardening, growing your own food, creating more greenspace in Watertown, or improving the town where you live? Watertown Community Gardens is now accepting applications for garden plots at its locations on Nichols Avenue and Grove Street. Experienced and novice gardeners alike are encouraged to apply. Join us for an Information Session at the Watertown Library on Sunday February 12th from 3 - 4:30 PM to learn more about Watertown Community Gardens and how you can get involved!
On February 23rd there will be two opportunities to hear Sydney Nathans, Professor Emeritus of History, Duke University discuss his bookTo Free a Family (Harvard University Press 2012) - at the Cambridge Historical Society and the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. To Free a Family is the story of Mary Walker, who in August 1848 fled her owner for refuge in the North and spent the next 17 years trying to recover her son and daughter. Mary Walker is buried in Lot 4312 Kalmia Path at Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Think green. Do not print this email and you will help to conserve valuable resources. Thank you!
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Our new website has launched! Redesigned with funding from the Anthony J. & Mildred D. Ruggiero Memorial Trust.
