Mount Auburn Cemetery- America’s First and Finest

In Cambridge, Mass. is a vast and beautiful park that happens to be a cemetery. 

It is called Mount Auburn and has the distinction of being the first of its kind in America: a landscaped rural garden Victorian cemetery. 

Mount Auburn opened in 1831. Today it encompasses 170 acres in Cambridge and also parts of neighboring Watertown. More than 100,000 people are buried here. 

Wow! 

More on Mount Auburn's history here. 

The impressive entrance near Harvard University was built in 1842 of locally- quarried Quincy granite. The wings at the top are of ancient Egyptian influence symbolizing the sun and therefore power, according to cemetery material.

The inscription under the rings says the following: 

“Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7” 

Credit for founding this Garden of Eden of burial grounds is Dr. Jacob Bigelow (1787-1879), a Boston physician, botanist and Harvard professor. Bigelow chapel, (right) located near the entrance, was named in his honor. The grand Gothic Revival edifice, built in 1844 and rebuilt in 1855 (also of Quincy granite) emulates the style of cathedrals built in England, France and Germany in the 1200s or 1300s, a cemetery publication says. 

Another Busy Backyard Owl Season

 

Fast and furious is how I would describe what I immediately noticed upon our return from Boston on May 29. 

I got out of our car in the driveway ready to take in suitcases when I heard that distinctive young owl sound. 

I have described the sound as a shrill hiss or whistle. My neighbor calls it a screech. The sound is clearly not the hoot associated with owls. 

For four of five years in this time period: mid -to-late May to mid-to-late June, Barred Owls have been making daytime visits to the trees at my house and some neighbors yards. Here are links to a few of my posts in previous years. 

•  June 2022 Post (includes an owl in a birdbath on our back porch!)
• June 2023 Post

These are young Barred Owls that may not know that they are nocturnal. While the parents are sleeping during the day, the youngsters fly away to play. That could be what is going on- curiosity about this big wide world they are part of now. 

I'm the Guest on a Cemetery Podcast!!!

First time experiences can be exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. There was anticipation for the event to finally happen as the interview with me was set up months ago. But June 4 finally arrived and at 10 a.m. I was in my chair in our home office ready to talk Charleston and its many interesting cemeteries and graveyards. 

Dianne Hartshorn and Jennie Johnson have hosted "The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast" for more than three years. I was honored to be the guest for episode 188. They let me go on for more than an hour about my books "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston" and "In the Arms of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery- Charleston's Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry" and how I became interesting in these offbeat topics. 

Here is a link to the podcast's page about my appearance.

On YouTube it can be viewed here: 

To just listen to the podcast (and not see us as you do in the YouTube video above), it is available via all the popular streaming services such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts. 

Dianne and Jennie are fellow "taphophiles" (obviously) and they were so much fun to speak with and share my passion for Charleston, S.C.- the Holy City! 

Boston- The Cradle of Liberty

A long Memorial Day weekend visit to Boston proved a positive revelation on many levels. The old city is one often depicted in movies, TV shows, books and other media. This was my first time in Boston and I left impressed and hopeful to return in the future. 

Boston and beyond- Boston Harbor and in the distance, the Atlantic Ocean! 

THE HOTEL

Alesia booked our room at the Marriott Vacation Club at Custom House. Wow is this a grand hotel! 

Our room on the 23rd floor is a villa. It has huge windows overlooking the harbor and Logan Airport on one side, and the city skyline on the other. It also has a kitchen. 

Our villa, room 2302, is part of the clock tower just below the clock where you see windows. 

The Classical Revival tower, nearly 500 feet tall, was added in 1915 to top the massive Custom House built in 1847. 

This was Boston's tallest building for decades. Click here for more on this landmark's interesting history.