Watertown and Mount Auburn Cemetery Collaborate on Events Series on Shared History

On Tuesday, April 26, social historian and author Dee Morris will talk about several prominent Watertown families that chose Mount Auburn Cemetery to be their final resting place, in the first in a series of events celebrating the connection between Mount Auburn Cemetery and the town of Watertown.

The Friends of the Mount Auburn Cemetery, Historical Society of Watertown and the Watertown Historical Commission collaborated to put together the five-part series that runs through September.

The cemetery has held joint events with David Russo, chairman of the Historical Commission, as well as with the Historical Society, said Bree Harvey, vice president of External Affairs for the cemetery.

“We started thinking we should do a whole series playing up the relationship between Mount Auburn Cemetery and Watertown,” Harvey said. “Most people who had influence in Watertown, especially in 19^th Century, were buried at Mount Auburn.”

The cemetery opened in 1831, to serve Boston and surrounding communities, and it was the first garden cemetery, Russo said.

“Before that, cemeteries were like the Granary Burying Ground [in Boston] – urban and crowded,” Russo said. “Mount Auburn is landscaped in some places, more wild in others, and it is right here in Watertown.”

On July 10, Russo will discuss the topography of the cemetery, and the homesteads that were located where the cemetery now lies.

Harvey said she looks forward to all the events, which also include a talk about Harriet Hosmer a local socialite and sculptor, and a talk about the nearby Arlington Street Cemetery, Watertown’s oldest burial ground.

“I think they are all going to be equally fascinating,” Harvey said. “They will be talking about different aspects of history of Watertown and the people buried here.

“I am co-leading one of the tours with David [Russo] on the landscape history, which is my specific interest, but I very much looking forward to the  film screening on the Armenians in Watertown and the Hood Rubber Plant.”

All of the events are free and open to the public. Call Mount Auburn Cemetery at 617-607-1981 for information.

Here are more details on the events:

Tuesday, April 26, 6 p.m.

Everlasting Ties - Much can be learned about Watertown’s past through the stories of its most significant residents. Naturally, many prominent Watertown families since the 1830s have selected Mount Auburn as their final resting place, making for themselves an eternal home in the same town where they lived. Join us in Story Chapel as Dee Morris shares the story about these neighbors in both life and death.

Sunday, May 15, 3 p.m.

Harriet Hosmer: Socialite & Sculptor - Join us in Story Chapel to learn about one of Watertown’s most famous citizens. Rev. Joseph L. Curran will trace Harriet Hosmer’s rise from obscurity to the courts of Europe and the best circles in her native America.

Sunday, July 10, 3 p.m.

Homesteads and Topography -The homesteads that once populated east Watertown and now comprise the majority of Mount Auburn’s land have a rich and varied story. Join David Russo, Watertown Historical Commission and Bree Harvey, Friends of Mount Auburn for an exploration of the grounds to learn more about the history of the land that we now call Mount Auburn and find some of the physical manifestations that remind us of its past.

Thursday, Aug. 25, 6 p.m.

Destination Watertown - Join us in Story Chapel for a screening of the documentary on the Hood Rubber Company of Watertown. Writer, videographer, and editor, Roger Hagopian captured the history of both the company and the community that grew up in the shadows of its giant smokestack through interviews with former employees, historic photographs and artifacts.

Sunday, Sept. 18, 6 p.m.

Mount Auburn to Arlington Cemetery - Join Clare Murphy for an exploration of the Arlington Street Cemetery – Watertown’s oldest burial ground. Departing from Mount Auburn’s Asa Gray Garden the group will walk to the Arlington Street Cemetery learning more about Watertown’s earliest settlers along the way.