A FAMILIAR FUTURE

 Described by Fanny Kemble as “a pleasure garden instead of a place for graves,” 'rural' cemeteries like Mount Vernon Cemetery redefined nineteenth century views on death and memorialization. Inspired by the gardens of Great Britain and France –namely Paris’s Père Lachaise Cemetery – Mount Auburn Cemetery – the United States' first 'rural' cemetery – infused naturalism and nineteenth century Romanticism into the American cemetery model. Featuring trails, gardens, and forests, Mount Auburn ignited the Rural Cemetery Movement, transforming the world of cemetery design. Cemeteries transitioned from overcrowded urban churchyards to large community green spaces – including Mount Vernon Cemetery – evolving into spaces of reflection and recreation. Combining landscape, architecture, and geographical aesthetics, the ‘rural’ cemetery model aligned with new, lighter perspectives on death and dying. It is in these footsteps that Mount Vernon Cemetery follows once more, intent on becoming an urban forest that embraces the living and respects the dead. Miles of trails and intimate garden settings await, merging nature and memory in a revived garden cemetery setting.