Cambridge, MA
Halvorson Tighe & Bond Studio
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
Preservation Mass Frederick Law Olmsted Award
American Cemetery Excellence Award
Because Mount Auburn Cemetery, founded in 1831, is designated a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior and is considered one of this country’s most significant cultural landscapes, any alterations to the landscape require utmost sensitivity. Known as “America’s first garden cemetery”, Mount Auburn Cemetery contains thousands of shrubs, herbaceous plants, and trees (more than 600 species) on 175-acres of hills, dells, ponds, woodlands, and clearings. Pine & Swallow designed many horticultural and drainage solutions to restore, maintain, and enhance this extraordinary and historic landscape, including design and management of pond edges, trails in steeply sloping areas, and restoration of lawns and planting areas, including a 1:1 sloped interment area. During the construction phases of all projects, Pine & Swallow reviewed submittals and performed site visits and testing to evaluate compliance to the construction documents to ensure the plantings would flourish long term.