Pittsfield Cemetery
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Pittsfield Cemetery covers 142 acres at the northwest edge of downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts, beside Onota Lake and Burbank Park. Its core, an 83-acre section laid out in 1850 by Dr. Horatio Stone, follows the rural cemetery model, with winding roads, small knolls, Onota Brook and mature specimen trees. Entry is through the Romanesque Revival Allen Memorial Arch and Main Gate, built of Great Barrington bluestone after an 1885 bequest. Other notable structures include the Calvin Martin Memorial Chapel of 1900, a 1939 English Cottage-style superintendent's house, the Byzantine-style McKay Mausoleum and the granite Clapp-Bagg Mausoleum. Markers span about 250 years, from relocated 18th-century tablets to modern granite stones. The grounds hold the graves of Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans, including members of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, along with congressmen, state supreme court justices and local industrialists. Its landscape design, architecture and commemorative art underpin its listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the cemetery's primary significance comes from its 1850 rural cemetery design, with winding roads, knolls, a brook and specimen trees. It also holds distinctive buildings, mausolea and monuments, and the graves of many of Pittsfield's settlers, civic leaders, judges, artists and war veterans, including members of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 07000145, listed March 13, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 203 Wahconah St., Pittsfield |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | March 13, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000145 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Horatio Stone (landscape designer); George C. Harding (Calvin Martin Memorial Chapel); Parsons, Wait & Goodell (Superintendent's Cottage, Maintenance Garage, Sloan Memorial Bridge); Mary Tillinghast (McKay Mausoleum) |
| Architectural style | Rural cemetery style; buildings in Romanesque Revival, Gothic, English Cottage, Byzantine and Roman temple styles |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as an active cemetery. Only about five of the 59 acres west of Onota Street have been developed for burials. |
| Acreage | 142 |
| Coordinates | 42.46690, -73.26071 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 07000145.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7199470
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.