Mount Auburn Cemetery
Why it's listed
Mount Auburn Cemetery is a 170-acre garden cemetery on the Cambridge-Watertown line, laid out in 1831-32 by Alexander Wadsworth for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Its winding roads and footpaths follow the natural topography of a glacial moraine with ponds, knolls and a 136-foot hill, and the original road pattern remains virtually intact. The nomination describes it as America's first rural garden cemetery and one of the best preserved. Its informal plan broke from the rigid rows of churchyard burial grounds and shaped later cemeteries such as Laurel Hill, Greenwood and Forest Hills, as well as public parks like Central Park and Franklin Park. Buildings include the Egyptian Revival gate of 1843, Bigelow Chapel, a granite lookout tower of 1853 and Story Chapel of 1897. More than 70,000 interments are marked by monuments in many styles. Buried here are Louis Agassiz, Charles Bulfinch, Dorothea Dix, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Winslow Homer.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it America's first rural garden cemetery and one of the best preserved of its type. Its informal, curving plan set the pattern for later cemeteries and influenced public parks such as Central Park and Franklin Park. It also holds notable monuments, sculpture and buildings, and the graves of many nationally known figures.
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 75000254, listed April 21, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 580 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 21, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000254 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Alexander Wadsworth, Landscape Architect |
| Architectural style | Romantic Picturesque, with Egyptian Revival gate and Gothic Revival chapels |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated May 27, 2003 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked excellent and unaltered; occupied and in use as a cemetery and park. Some white marble structures and cast iron lot enclosures are badly deteriorated. |
| Acreage | 170 |
| Coordinates | 42.37056, -71.14403 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 75000254.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1950363
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.