For more than 30 years, Halvorson Design has been collaborating with cities, towns, and private cemeteries to beautify their memorial grounds and extend the lifetimes of these important open spaces.
Caroline’s Path and Story Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery (Photo by Ed Wonsek)
We offer a variety of services, from complex master plans for active historic cemeteries such as Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA, and Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY, to preservation plans for the Hancock Cemetery in Quincy, MA, and Old Village Cemetery in Dedham, MA, and everything in between. Halvorson Design brings extensive knowledge of cemetery design and works with clients to develop short- and long-term improvement plans.
At the same time, we look for opportunities to beautify and take advantage of underutilized spaces to extend the lifetime of active cemeteries and offer alternative forms of memorialization. This may include the development of multi-person memorial options, from columbaria and scattering gardens to group memorials; beautification to enhance the contemplative, healing environment; redesigning underutilized areas to maximize space while maintaining the rhythm and harmony of the existing cemetery; or creating high-quality renderings to generate excitement and help with donor presentations/fundraising.
Asa Gray Garden at Mount Auburn Cemetery (Fundraising Rendering by Halvorson Design)
As landscape architects, we are well-versed in the many challenges faced by cemeteries:
How to extend active operations when facing diminishing land and revenue resources?
How to attract and meet the needs of people seeking alternatives to conventional burial or with different cultural needs?
How to diversify revenue sources?
How to grow or introduce new burial/commemoration space while maintaining aesthetic harmony with existing monuments?
How to position cemeteries as community open spaces?
In this special four-part article on landscape design for cemeteries, we’ll: