The Dedham Village Preservation Association and the Town of Dedham have selected Halvorson Design Partnership of Boston to develop a three-year cemetery improvement master plan for the historic Old Village Cemetery. Their work will set the stage for future improvements to preserve and enhance the character and beauty of this important landmark.
Halvorson Design is a well-respected landscape architecture firm known for its thoughtful and sensitive approach to cemetery master planning and design. They have designed award-winning projects for Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Highland Meadows Cemetery in Belmont, and Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. Their work also includes planning and design for St. Paul’s Parish in Hingham, Hancock Cemetery in Quincy, Burial Hill Cemetery in Plymouth, Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY, and Laurel Hill and West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.
The Halvorson Design team, led by Ricardo Austrich, ASLA, will work with the Town and the Dedham Village Preservation Association, to provide a roadmap for phased renovations and improvements at the 382 year-old cemetery. This prioritized set of actions will address the landscape and hardscape, including paths, steps, and ironwork fencing, as well as future improvements to the cemetery grounds.
From Left to Right: Ricardo Austrich; former State Representative Marie-Louise Kehoe; Vesna Maneva, and Dedham DPW Director Joseph Flanagan
“We are looking forward to working with the town and the Restoration Committee, chaired by Marie Louise Kehoe, former Dedham Selectman, to build on the work undertaken by the DPW to enhance the beauty and value of this important part of Dedham’s historic fabric,” said Austrich.
The Old Village Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Dedham Village Historic District. Its monuments commemorate many of Dedham’s founders; among them, Ames, Fisher, Farrington, Avery, and Dyar, and include the remains of Revolutionary and Civil War veterans. Tourists from around the world visit the cemetery, annually, as an important part of historic Dedham.
For more information or to contribute to the Old Village Cemetery Fund through the Dedham Village Preservation Association, please click the link below.
See additional coverage via High-Profile Monthly and the Dedham Patch