Newton, Massachusetts Community Preservation Program  >>  Proposals & Projects

Historic Burying Grounds
Scroll down for most current proposal.
location:
  citywide: East Parish Burying Ground (Cotton & Centre Streets), West Parish Burying Ground (Cherry Street), South Parish Burying Ground (Winchester Street) 
goals:
  For: pruning and where necessary, removal of trees that are diseased or threaten integrity of gravestones or tombs; for conservation, repair, stabilization, and cleaning of over 130 historic headstones, footstones, and monuments (in phase 1), and of approximately 30 historic tombs (in phase 2); and for improved public access, including historically appropriate ornamental fencing and interpretive signage.
 total funding:
 
$445,672 CP funds appropriated  (historic resources)
$602,049 CP funds requested  (historic resources)

$1,047,721

TOTAL CP funds requested or appropriated  (historic resources)
contacts:
  Bob DeRubeis, Commissioner
City of Newton Parks & Recreation Dept.
70 Crescent Street
Auburndale, MA 02466
email:   bderubeis@newtonma.gov
phone:   617.796.1500

Cynthia Stone, Director
Historic Newton
527 Washington Street
Newton Corner, MA 02458
email:   cstone@newtonma.gov
phone:   617.796.1451

PROPOSAL REVIEW & APPROPRIATIONS
October 2002
  Phase 1 proposal (gravestones) 
October 2002
  Full project letters of support
Includes letters from Parks & Recreation Dept. and
Newton Historical Commission.
1 November 2002
  Phase 1 schedule & budget, updated  (gravestones) 
3 January 2003
  Letter addressing maintenance concerns  
7 April 2003
  Phase 1 CPC funding recommendation
22 April 2003
  Phase 1 Board order (appropriation): $188,277

October 2004
  Phase 2a proposal (tombs)
October 2004
  Phase 2a budget
November 2004
  updated Master Plan (all phases)
November 2004
  updated recommendations for fencing 
Nov 2004 - Jan 2005
  updated full project budget (all phases)
12 January 2005
  Phase 2a CPC funding recommendation
19 April 2005
  Phase 2a Board order (appropriation): $257,395

12 October 2010
  Phase 2b proposal (tombs & fencing)
Includes summary, project budget, annual budget for the City partner (Jackson Homestead/Newton History Museum) within Historic Newton, & project manager's qualifications
12 October 2010
  Phase 2b maps & photos
12 October 2010
  Phase 2b analysis of historic significance
Re-submitted with October 2010 proposal (links repeat those above): Newton Historical Commission letter supporting overall project
 (see p. 2 of this document), from Oct 02
Phase 2a CPC funding recommendation, from Jan 05
preservation consultants' recommendations, from Dec 09-Jan 10 
15 December 2010
  Phase 2b public hearing presentation (long file, may be slow to load)
4 January 2011
  City of Newton Law Dept. confirmation of eligibility for line items in project budget
16 March 2011
  Phase 2b proposal revisions & updates (includes photos):
  1. minimum scope of work & additional funding required to begin using funds remaining from prior appropriations
  2. fencing
  3. volunteer training
  4. maintenance committment by Parks & Recreation Dept.
  5. total revised funding request 
16 March 2011
  revised proposal presentation, with photos (long file, may load slowly)
16 March 2011
  Newton Historical Society annual financial statements
(unintentionally omitted from October 2010 proposal)

CPC funding recommendation
Board order (appropriation)

PROJECT NEWS
2000
  Dept. of Conservation & Recreation historic cemeteries handbook,
recommendations for Newton
ongoing
  Historic Burying Grounds page on Historic Newton website

23 May 2008
  process for approving revisions to workplan & budget
16 April 2008
  project budget update
December 2009
  written project work update
December 2009
& January 2010
  preservation consultants' recommendations (from Building & Monument Conservation and Structures North, who helped to develop the May 2010 invitation for bids)
26 May 2010
  revised workplan & budget, with CPC approval
In contrast to May 2008 process above, Board of Aldermen determined that their approval was not required.
16 December 2009
  presentation - part of Historic Newton overall/project updates
July 2010
  invitation for bids and plans
(long documents, will load slowly)
August 2010
  Phase 2a/2b bid received
21 April 2011
  revised invitation for bids and plans
(long documents, will load slowly)

CONTACT:  
Alice E. Ingerson, Ph.D., Community Preservation Program Manager
Newton Planning & Development Department,
City Hall, 1000 Commonwealth Ave., Newton, MA 02459
phone 617.796.1144, email  aingerson@newtonma.gov, TDD / TTY 617.796.1089