Hope Cemetery, dedicated in 1852, is Worcester s
second garden cemetery, born of the rural cemetery movement
inspired by romantic perceptions of nature, art and the themes
of death, as well as by the realities of civic development and
identity. A city-owned cemetery, Hope is the last resting
place of the people who shaped Worcester industrialists and
workers, inventors and mechanics, men and women people of all
ages, races and beliefs. Here a visitor can contemplate
monuments and statues while strolling through a setting of
fine trees and plantings.
As early as the late
1840s, the need for a new civic cemetery was under discussion
as older burial grounds either filled up or fell victim to
neglect. In nothing, perhaps, is the taste of a community more
visible, than in the care which it bestows upon the resting
place of the dead, commented one politician. Hope Cemetery
replaced as many as six earlier burial grounds that were
overwhelmed by the growing city. By the end of the century
remains from Mechanic Street, Tatman and Pine Meadow
cemeteries were reinterred at Hope, and in the 1960s graves
were moved here from Worcester Common.
Situated
near the top of Webster Street, Hope Cemetery is a carefully
planned cohesive landscape whose overall character is defined
by the interrelationship of features within. The siting of the
roads and paths, trees and shrubs, as well as the placement
and scale of mausoleums, all reflect a sense of design that
for a century and a half has continued to make this a
beautiful spot. The cemetery occupies approximately 168 acres
of rolling land between Kettle Brook to the south, Curtis Pond to the west, and Middle River to the north. The
terrain has been carefully worked to create views and vistas
that enhance the natural beauty of the site.
Entry
through the 1917 Nixon Gates (once used as the main entrance)
brings visitors up a slight grade past the impressive
memorials and mausoleums north of the entrance. There is a
broad view of the southwest quarter of the cemetery along the
granite wall, which sweeps down to the lower gates currently
in use. The size and balance of Hope Cemetery take full
advantage of the hilly terrain.
A recent
Horticultural Survey and Tree Inventory underwritten by the
Friends of Hope Cemetery documents a number of specimen trees
as part of the high degree of embellishment. The most
exceptional examples are three champion European Beech trees
with diameters of 55 to 59 inches. Other champions include
Norway Maples, Red Maples, Sugar Maples, Sweet Birches,
Katsuras, Coast White Cedars, White Ash, White Scarlets, and
Red Oaks. Many of the roads are named for the trees that
flourish in the cemetery.
Any citizen of Worcester
has the right to be buried in Hope Cemetery. If the person or
the family is unable to pay for burial, space is provided
without cost. Grave sites are sold based upon location and
size. The marking and decorating of lots are regulated to
maintain the beauty and integrity of the cemetery.
In 1998 Hope Cemetery was placed on the National Register of
Historic Places. This recognition assists in the preservation
of the cemetery as part of the city s great heritage. |
During the past year [1851], the city has made a
purchase of a lot of about 50 acres, situated south of New
Worcester, for a public cemetery, at a cost of $1855. In the
opinion of competent judges, this lot is admirably adapted to
the purpose for which it is designed. It is neither too remote
from, nor too near to, the city. Its surface is variegated
with hills and valleys. It is elevated above the New Worcester
stream, which sweeps it upon the north. It is susceptible of a
high degree of embellishment. . . . If properly graded and
embellished, it would furnish a beautiful spot for the resort
of the living, and a resting-place for the dead.
Mayor Peter C. Bacon
Annual
Report
January 5, 1852 |