Friends of Mount Auburn

Friends of Mount Auburn
Name	Friends of Mount Auburn
Formation	20th century
Type	Nonprofit organization
Location	Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts
Focus	Preservation, conservation, education, horticulture

Friends of Mount Auburn Friends of Mount Auburn is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Mount Auburn Cemetery and its historic landscape in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Watertown, Massachusetts. The organization collaborates with local institutions, civic groups, and national organizations to maintain cultural heritage, support horticultural practice, and promote public programs. Its work intersects with cemetery administration, preservationists, botanists, historians, and artists to sustain one of the United States' earliest rural cemeteries.

History

The organization's roots trace to preservation movements linked with the founding of Mount Auburn Cemetery in 1831 and later 19th-century rural cemetery advocates such as Alexander Wadsworth and Jacob Bigelow, echoing precedents set by Père Lachaise Cemetery and Highgate Cemetery. In the 20th century, civic efforts joined the efforts of entities like the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Massachusetts Historical Commission, Historic New England, and local historical societies to respond to landscape threats similar to cases at Green-Wood Cemetery, Oakland Cemetery (Atlanta), and Laurel Hill Cemetery. Influences included legislation and policy debates involving the Massachusetts Cultural Council and initiatives modeled after The Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation and the work of Frederick Law Olmsted, whose designs for sites like Central Park and Mount Auburn Cemetery shaped public support networks. The nonprofit formed as successor alliances with groups such as the Cambridge Historical Commission, Watertown Historical Commission, and partner organizations including Friends of the Public Garden and the Trustees of Reservations.

Mission and Activities

Friends of Mount Auburn's mission aligns with preservation charters championed by the National Park Service and the International Council on Monuments and Sites. Programs reflect practices from botanical institutions like the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University Herbaria, and the New England Botanical Club, while engaging curatorial methods similar to Smithsonian Institution museums. Activities include landscape stewardship influenced by standards from the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, archival projects collaborating with the Massachusetts Historical Society, and partnerships with academic centers such as Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, and Northeastern University.

Mount Auburn Cemetery Programs

The organization supports programming at Mount Auburn Cemetery that mirrors offerings at cultural sites like Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Peabody Essex Museum, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Guided walks feature themes drawn from biographies of figures interred at the cemetery such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Dorothy Quincy Hancock, John Singleton Copley, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., and Charles Sumner, linking to broader histories including American Revolutionary War, Civil War (United States), and the Abolitionist movement. Horticultural seminars draw on expertise from The New England Wildflower Society, Boston Botanical Garden, and the New England Aquarium for wildlife-focused sessions. Seasonal events echo programming by Boston Conservatory and Cambridge Public Library, hosting lectures, concerts, and exhibitions that collaborate with ensembles like the Boston Symphony Orchestra and groups from Longy School of Music.

Conservation and Advocacy

Conservation priorities align with preservation cases involving National Register of Historic Places listings and grant sources such as the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. The group has engaged in advocacy comparable to campaigns led by Conservation Law Foundation, Mass Audubon, and Sierra Club chapters, confronting issues like landscape fragmentation, invasive species management in the tradition of New England Botanical Club studies, and stormwater resilience planning resembling initiatives by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Boston Water and Sewer Commission. Collaboration extends to municipal planners from City of Cambridge, environmental review processes under Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, and regional networks including the Charles River Watershed Association.

Governance and Funding

Governance follows nonprofit models used by institutions such as the Boston Foundation, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and other charitable entities, with a board comprising professionals from fields represented by American Institute of Architects, American Society of Landscape Architects, Association of Preservation Technology International, and university affiliations. Funding sources include membership programs similar to Friends of the Public Garden, philanthropic support from families and foundations like The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and corporate philanthropy comparable to partnerships with Bank of America or State Street Corporation. Fiscal oversight adheres to standards promoted by the Internal Revenue Service and reporting norms followed by GuideStar-listed nonprofits.

Community Engagement and Education

Educational outreach mirrors collaborations between cultural organizations and schools such as Cambridge Public Schools, Watertown Public Schools, and university extension programs at University of Massachusetts Boston and Lesley University. Volunteer stewardship programs parallel efforts by AmeriCorps and service-learning models at Harvard Extension School, with training incorporating protocols from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for field safety. Community events foster ties with neighborhood groups like the Cambridge Historical Society, arts partnerships with Massachusetts Cultural Council grantees, and civic engagement initiatives involving the Cambridge Arts Council and local chambers of commerce.

Category:Mount Auburn Cemetery Category:Nonprofit organizations based in Massachusetts