Mount Feake Cemetery
Why it's listed
Mount Feake Cemetery occupies about 85 acres on the north bank of the Charles River in Waltham, opposite the former American Waltham Watch Company. Waltham chose town-owned land for a new burial ground in the mid-1850s, and the cemetery was consecrated in October 1857. Robert Morris Copeland drew the plan, using curving avenues and paths that follow the hills, ledges and riverbanks. Its design followed the garden cemetery model set by Mount Auburn. The grounds hold roughly 5,000 stones, mostly granite, with Victorian Gothic profiles, cast iron fences, a statue of Reed Shepard and a classicized relief of a seated woman reading. Burials include composer Effie C. Carlton and several Waltham mayors. Within the grounds are the ruins of the Waltham Pumping Station, begun in 1873 and enlarged in 1896-97, along with an engineer's house and other early buildings. The cemetery was listed for its landscape design, funerary art and local history.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the most fully developed and best preserved garden cemeteries in Massachusetts, following the model of Mount Auburn Cemetery. Copeland's winding path system suits the hilly terrain and reflects the romantic taste of the period. The quality of its Victorian funerary art adds further significance, and the pumping station buildings contribute historically and visually.
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 89001497, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 203 Prospect St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001497 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Landscape architect Robert Morris Copeland (cemetery); Joseph H. Curtis, engineer, and Issac R. Scott, builder (1873 engine house); city architect Superintendent Patch and builder Robert Glancy (1896-97 main building) |
| Architectural style | Garden (rural) cemetery landscape; pumping station buildings Romanesque Revival, Utilitarian and Vernacular; houses Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Cemetery in excellent condition with well maintained lawns, trees and generally good stones; the former pumping station is in poor condition, with roof collapse and falling brick. |
| Acreage | 84.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.36534, -71.24853 (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 89001497.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6920735
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.