Looking West A Landscape Design Plan for Ireland Street Cemetery Town of Chesterfield, Massachusetts Fall 2013 Designer: Michele Carlson Conway School of Landscape Design
INDEX
The goals of this project • Provide the town with design alternatives for the new cemetery expansion that are consistent with green burial standards. • Maintain the integrity of the historic features of the existing cemetery. • Create vehicle access for burial and maintenance, pedestrian paths, and seating area(s). • Design a low-maintenance landscape.
NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Introduction Context Green Burial Analysis Green Cemetery Analysis Existing Conditions Soils & Drainage Site Analysis Summary Analysis & Design Direction Design Alternative I A Tree Garden Design Alternative II A Procession Design Alternative III Threshold Design Alternative IV Stones Speak Design Precedents Meadow Vegetation Vegetation & Materials
Introduction
Chesterfield’s superintendent of cemeteries Bill Jolly and co-chair of cemeteries Dee Cinner anticipate a growing demand for natural or green burials. They would like to explore the possibilities of using this new land as a designated green burial ground.
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
Throughout its history, the cemetery has sat within a quiet agricultural landscape on an upland ridge with dramatic views of the Berkshires. Framed on three sides by original stone walls, the .61-acre cemetery property was expanded in 2006. Neighbors donated parcels of land totaling .45 acre directly west of the cemetery, increasing the total size of Ireland Street Cemetery to 1.06 acres.
A Landscape Design for Ireland Street Cemetery Chesterfield, Massachusetts Fall 2013
Ireland Street Cemetery tells a 250-year-old story of Chesterfield, which begins in 1772 with the burial of Mary Sylvester. The family monuments of early residents speak of families living close together, and the hand-carved symbols on tombstones reveal the changing spiritual and religious beliefs of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Soldiers from the Revolutionary War and Civil War are buried here.
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Neighbors Lawn
The cemetery has 185 headstones and footstones and several family monuments, ranging in date from 1772 to 1996. All are facing east. Most of these interments were in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Three prominent local stone carvers’ work is evident in the cemetery. The shape and carvings of the headstones mark changes in religious and death beliefs over the town’s 250 years. Carvings include death heads, angels (with or without wings), urns, weeping willows, dead roses, a pointing finger, and Celtic crosses.
Hayfield
New Parcel
Apple Orchard
Historic Cemetery
Simplicity and history are at the heart of Ireland Street Cemetery. Maintaining the historic stone walls and tombstones has been an initiative for the town. These preservation efforts can be furthered by a landscape design that addresses the current risk to tombstones from mature trees or limbs falling. An opportunity exists not only to protect the historic tombstones but to celebrate the craftsmanship of stone carving through a new design.
New Parcel
Apple Orchard
Ireland Street’s agricultural landscape Neighboring properties
Restoration
Tombstones
before
after
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
Utility Road
Ireland Street, once the main route through western Chesterfield, is a quiet street with little traffic. To the north of the cemetery lies a neighbor’s expansive lawn. To the south and west is a former commercial apple orchard. To the north and west is a hayfield. A view of the Berkshires to the west can be seen from both the historic cemetery as well as the new parcels of land.
In 2009 the cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Shortly after, renovations began on restoring damaged and aging tombstones; these efforts have recently been completed.
Context
Ireland Street
Neighbors Lawn
Ireland Street Cemetery
Chesterfield, MA
Hayfield
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
New Parcel
Historic Cemetery
for
Apple Orchard
A Landscape Design
Berkshire Mountains
Chesterfield, a rural hilltown in western Massachusetts, was established in 1763. The town reached its peak population of 1,447 in the 1820s. The current population is 1,200. Early residents worked mostly in agriculture and herding. The topography of hills and rivers was on occasion an obstacle for residents to reach the center of town. Perhaps due to this, several small cemeteries were created within the town. The town currently maintains twelve cemeteries, three of which are active. One of these three, located seven miles from the center of Chesterfield, is Ireland Street Cemetery.
2/15 NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
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Environmental Challenges
•1.6 million tons of concrete (enough to build a two-lane road from Detroit To New York City)
Mowing and Fertilizer
Although soils, microbes and vegetation break down contaminants that may occur in decomposition, green cemeteries should be located an ample distant from water sources.
•4.3 million gallons of carcinogenic embalming fluid (over 6 Olympic-sized swimming pools) •90,000 tons of steel used for vaults and caskets (More steel than used to make the Golden Gate Bridge)
Environmental Challenges 6’
Cement vault
•Health risk to industry workers
Environmental Benefits 3’-4’ •Conserves natural resources by eliminating the use of tropical woods, steel and concrete vaults.
•Potential leaching of embalming fluid into soil/water
Hardwood Casket
•Avoids the carbon released during cremation.
•Non-biodegradable materials with high embodied energy
•Improves water infiltration with long-rooted plants.
•Requires high volume of natural resources
Embalmed body
•Biodegradable organic material
• Green burial depth is 3-4 feet, requiring less soil disturbance and accelerates decomposition.
•Mowing and fertilizers used to maintain landscape
CREMATION is generally considered to have less imTypical conventional burials do not impede decomposition, they delay it.
pact on the environment than conventional burial, but it requires large amounts of non-renewable fossil fuels and emits air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, mercury, and dioxin. In the United States, it is estimated that by 2015 close to 50% (currently at 38%) of people will choose cremation at death.
• Green burial is legal in most states. • Embalming does not prevent the decomposition of the body or the spread of communicable diseases. It is NOT mandatory in any state.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
WHAT IS GREEN BURIAL?
The vast amount of natural resources used in conventional burial and cremation are evidence that burial has become part of the industrial landscape, with environmental consequences. An enormous carbon footprint is required to mine, manufacture, and transport the materials used in conventional burial. These practices do not prevent decomposition, they delay the process. Perhaps due to the sensitive and often untimely nature of death, most people have been unaware of these resource requirements.
Green burial, although “named” in the 1980s, is an age-old process that has seen a resurgence in the last few years, particularly in Britian, which has over two hundred green burial cemeteries. The Green Burial Council has certified 41 green burial locations within the USA.
The social and cultural dimensions of green burial can bring awareness to the dying process; the bereaved may want to hand dig the grave, build a casket, inscribe a cardboard box or sew a shroud, and become part of the process of laying a loved one to rest. NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
Green burial is returning the deceased simply and sustainably back into the earth. The main components of natural burial are avoiding embalming and utilizing a sustainably obtained biodegradable casket or shroud such as pine, woven willow, cardboard, banana leaf or cotton. Green burials may include a hand-dug grave, a simple stone marker, or no marker at all depending on the cemetery policy. A meaningful and popular component of green burial is the involvement of family and friends in the burial process.
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
•77,000 trees used for caskets (20 million board feet of wood)
Green Burial Analysis
Ireland Street Cemetery
Buried in the US each year:
Average Cost $1,000-$3,000
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
Each Year Conventional Burial In the US Requires:
for
Average Cost: $6,000-$10,000
GREEN BURIAL
A Landscape Design
CONVENTIONAL BURIAL
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HOW IT WORKS
feet, unembalmed, in a biodegradable casket or shroud.
Green Burial: An Active Nutrient Cycle
Water infiltration is improved by aerated, porous soils created by plant roots.
Absorbed nutrients are processed
Aerobic decomposition in shallow soils are facilitated by plant roots and the microbial community, including fungi and bacteria, that convert organic material into nutrients.
Chesterfield is one of ten communities in Western Massachusetts that offer green burial in a municipal cemetery, though due to ground subsidence issues, these may be limited to certain areas. Ireland Street Cemetery is currently available for burials without embalming, casket, or vault. Having a designated green burial area would make it easier to plant and maintain a landscape consistent with green burial practices. It would also fill an unmet need for end-of-life options; for Chesterfield residents the nearest dedicated green cemeteries are Greensprings Preserve in Ithaca, New York, and Cedar Brook Burial Ground in Limington, Maine.
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
Human remains are buried at 3 to 4
diverse animal habitats.
Ireland Street Cemetery
Native plants provide
Unlike the mown lawns of conventional cemeteries, green cemeteries are usually within a natural setting such as a meadow or forest. The grasses, trees, shrubs, and groundcovers typical in green cemeteries do not require regular mowing and so are appropriate for ground that settles and becomes uneven (due to the absence of the 1.2-ton concrete vaults that keep conventional cemetery grounds level).
Green Cemetery Analysis
decaying plants.
In many cases, people who are interested in green burial would like to further natural processes in which their nutrients feed a tree or wildflower. In death the deceased become part of a thriving ecosystem that loved ones can visit. Burial within a green cemetery becomes a positive feedback loop where nature serves burial and burial serves nature.
for
WHERE IT HAPPENS
Living soils are created by the humus of
into the life of plants.
Foxfields Nature Preserve Cemetery, OH
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
Memorial Woodlands, UK
A Landscape Design
Greenspring Natural Cemetery Preserve, NY
4/15 NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
Hydrangea
Stone wall Vehicle Access
New Northern Parcel
3.
Ireland Street
Stonewall
Stone wall
Basswood
Entrance
HISTORIC CEMETERY Deciduous Hedgerow/ 91
A
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92
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95
2. 96
A’
Until recently, established volunteer maples, birches, and ashes framed the cemetery. Several trees were cut down this past summer to protect tombstones. The southern boundary is predominantly ash trees. A nine-foot opening in the western wall allows access to the southwestern parcel.
Mountain Laurel
Access 97
90
1.
98 99
89
New Southern Parcel
100
3’Retaining Wall
Hydrangea
Stone wall
Quiet prevails on arrival at Ireland Street Cemetery; sitting directly off Ireland Street, the pedestrian entrance is through a cast iron gate and up two shallow steps. A two- to threefoot-tall retaining wall runs the eastern length of the cemetery. To the north, a utility road owned by a neighbor and an opening in the original stone wall is used for vehicle access (burial and maintenance only) to the western portion of the historic cemetery. An underground telephone cable runs the length of the utility road, continuing through the hay field. The utility road terminates at the hay field.
Apple Tree
A stone wall and established hedgerow divide the southern and northern parcels. The hedgerow continues west past the property line. Although the two parcels have been maintained separately as an apple orchard and hayfield, the ground vegetation of each consists of grasses.
Ash Trees
Apple Orchard
0’
15’
30’
New Parcels Historic Cemetery
Southern parcel
2.
Northern parcel/ Hedgerow
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
Hay Field
Ireland Street Cemetery
Utility Road
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
Buried Utility Cable
for
Ireland Street Cemetery
Utility Pole
A Landscape Design
1.
3.
0’ 5’
New Cemetery Parcel NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
Historic Cemetery
15’
Existing Conditions
Section A-A’
5/15 Ireland Street
• An ecologist who visited the site noted that the existing healthy apple trees do not thrive in wet or moist soils.
• Due to the site being on top of a ridge, there is likely little to no lateral water movement onto the proposed site.
• Soil pits on site do not show traces of seasonal water. 98 92
93
94
95
0’
15’
30’
DRAINAGE
Soil samples of the hay field and apple orchard parcels indicate acidic soils with 5.5 and 5.8 pH levels respectively. Acidic soils promote decomposition faster than alkaline soils and are a preference for many native plants. The dense substratum of the soil makes hand digging difficult but not impossible. Most of the existing graves in the historic section were hand dug.
The historic cemetery has a gentle 2% slope; water drains from the south to the north and west. Water begins to drain west as the slope increases to 5% behind the western stone wall. Both of the new parcels have a 5% western-facing slope. It is advised that groundwater infiltration be assessed to protect water bodies from possible contaminants. The risk of contaminants in a natural burial ground are low, as viruses and bacteria die within hours of the host’s death. It is law in Massachusetts that all cemeteries be located a safe distance from water sources, to be determined by each towns board of health.
2,500 feet to Jackson Swamp
4,500 feet to Westfield River
Located on a ridge, the historic cemetery drains towards the north, west and east. The new parcels drain to the west. The Westfield River is 4,500 feet to the east and the Jackson Swamp is 2,500 feet to the west. The cemetery exceeds a safe distance from these water bodies. In addition, plants proposed in these designs have deep root structures which help to promote water absorption and filtration.
Soil Section Shelburne/Ashfield Soils Fine Sandy Loam Potential Perched Water
Dense Substratum Bedrock 5’
Optimal Green Burial Depth
Soils & Drainage
91
Sandy soils are porous, with good water drainage and plentiful oxygen, both of which encourage the aerobic activity needed for decomposition. Sandy soils are also easier to dig, if hand digging is desired.
100
for
90
99
A Landscape Design
88 89
96
97
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
• The cemetery does not have a history of drainage issues.
Ireland Street Cemetery
Soils affect water drainage and the rate of decomposition. The USDA soil survey map classifies the soils at Ireland Street Cemetery as a Shelburne/Ashfield mix. These soils are sandy, well to moderately drained soils with a hard substratum and a seasonal perched water table at 17”. Examination of the soils on site confirms these characteristics, excluding the perched water table. The following factors suggest that there is no perched water table at Ireland Street Cemetery:
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
SOILS
6/15 NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
IRELAND STREET
Northern Parcel Historic Cemetery
Entrance
Vehicle Access Retaining wall
dense undergrowth
Southern Parcel
Parking for the cemetery is roadside along Ireland Street. Vehicle (burial and maintenance) access into the cemetery is via the utility road owned by the neighbor and an opening in the original stone wall.
Future Burials
Ireland Street Cemetery is an active municipal cemetery. It currently has an estimated 60 plots available in the western half of the historic cemetery. This area needs to remain accessible for burial maintenance vehicles.
Views
The rolling hills of the Berkshires can be seen from both the historic and new parcels. The cemetery is bestowed with beautiful sunsets due to its location on the western slope of the ridge.
Northwest winds
The new northern parcel receives unobstructed northwest winter winds due to the expanse of the adjacent hayfield. The southern parcel is shielded by the hedgerow, more so in foliage season. Recent removal of trees around the perimeter of the historic cemetery increases wind.
100
95
for
90
Apple Tree
An unobstructed route to the western parcel follows along the southern row of family monuments.
Ash trees Family Monuments 0’
15’
30’
Summer Solstice
A Landscape Design
Basswood tree
Stone wall
Hedgerow
Potential Path
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
Pedestrian Access
Ireland Street Cemetery
Utility Road
End of utility road
The historic cemetery property boundary is marked by stone walls and a retaining wall. Visitors enter via a small gate. There is no distinct path that leads the way through the cemetery. An opening in the western stone wall provides access to the southwestern parcel. There is no access to the northern parcel from the historic cemetery. Its only access is via the hayfield (neighbors’ property) at the end of the utility road.
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
Northwest winds
Vegetation
12pm
Largely turf grass, the historic cemetery also contains two hydrangea, two mountain laurel and a blueberry shrub.
3pm
The new parcels consist of grasses that have been hayed annually. One apple tree remains of the former orchard and the basswood is located at the intersection of the three parcels.
Historic Cemetery
During the foliage season the deciduous hedgerow of volunteer trees and herbaceous and woody plants visually separates the northern and southern new parcels and casts abundant shade in the northern parcel. Sitting on a ridge, Ireland Street Cemetery receives ample southern sun. The southern parcel receives full sun most of the day. NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
Site Analysis
9am
The established ash, maple, birch and beech growing in and near the stone walls are volunteers that were allowed to grow. The southern row of trees in the historic section are predominately ash.
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Constraints
Advantages • Ireland Street is a quiet rural street; the new western cemetery parcels, set back from the road, are particularly peaceful and private.
• The property boundary along the stone walls of the historic cemetery limits access to the western parcel.
• The northern parcel has no vehicle or pedestrian access within the property
• The site has views of the Berkshires with beautiful sunsets.
boundary.
• Ash trees are susceptible to the emerald ash borer (an invasive
• Hay grass vegetation is established in both parcels. • A stone wall in the western parcel separates the northern and southern parcels and can be used for alternative design possibilities.
• Western parcels have two microclimates; full sun in the southern parcel and shade in the northern parcel.
• An unmarked route along the row of family monuments is a possible path to western parcels.
beetle that is decimating ash trees).
• Falling trees and/or limbs in the historic cemetery could damage tombstones. • The hedgerow in the western parcel reduces burial space. A ten-foot buffer from
trunks is recommended for burials. Even beyond ten feet, roots may cause difficultly for digging graves.
• Dense overgrowth under the hedgerow will need continued maintenance to remove
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
SUMMARY OF SITE CONDITIONS
Amelanchier laevis
(serviceberry) has long been associated with burial. The small understory tree is the first to bloom in early may. The clouds of white flowers signal the ground is thawed enough to dig.
The design alternatives that follow integrate the inherent nature of the site including views and southern sun exposure, meet the logistical needs of cemetery operations, maintain the integrity of historic features, and create a meaningful space for visitors. Tree removal, stone wall re-laying, changes in openings, and a stone path are presented in the designs. Various entrances and access routes for vehicles are presented. Options for removing trees range from removal of most trees to removal of nearly none. Meadow establishment is presented in each design. Redbud, serviceberry, and witchhazel, small understory trees with spring and fall interest, are planted in most. It is recommended that local supplies and/or materials on site, such as wood from removed trees, be harvested for seating and fencing within the cemetery. Stone markers are flush to the ground, in select locations, and trees and meadow plants can be chosen by family to plant above graves. Local partnerships are proposed to involve the community to continue stone carving and to maintain the cemetery. Green cemeteries are often part of nature preserves or parks; in that vein, the designs create a cared for “memorial park” along the ridgeline of Ireland Street, a place to sit within a meadow or tree garden, watch the sunset, and remember a loved one.
Summary Analysis & Design Direction
The majority of interments at Ireland Street Cemetery were in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, before the common use of formaldehyde, treated wood caskets, and concrete vaults. Green burial is not a new concept within the cemetery; it is rather a return to a simpler, environmentally sound burial practice. One of the most compelling reasons people are interested in green burial are the natural habitats they create and/or protect. The undeveloped western parcel is a suitable site for a new dedicated green cemetery, providing a natural habitat that enriches the community and offer end-of-life choices for the patrons of the cemetery.
Design Plan for Ireland Street Cemetery Chesterfield, Massachusetts Fall 2013
unwanted woody species and herbaceous species.
8/15 NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
A
The tree garden design requires the least amount of disturbance. The existing stone wall divides the new parcels into outdoor rooms: to the north, a shady enclosed garden of trees, to the south a sun-filled meadow.
Utility Road
Hedge
5 Bench
Tree Garden
4 Ireland Street
Basswood
3
5
6
Historic Cemetery
Seating Walls
Ireland Street
1
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
A TREE GARDEN
Perspective View
Vehicle Access 0’
Stone wall see sheet # 15
1. The entrance is unchanged from existing site conditions. A visitor enters the historic cemetery from Ireland Street through a gate, then follows a meandering walk among carved tombstones to arrive at the western parcels.
2. Passing from the historic cemetery via an opening in the western wall, a visitor is greeted by meadow grasses, wild flowers, and views of the Berkshires. Flourishing in the sun, the meadow is a habitat for numerous species, including the monarch butterfly and ground-nesting birds. See sheet #14 for meadow planting plan.
3. Under a canopy of tall trees at the edge of the meadow, a mown path leads the visitor to an opening in the stone wall leading to an enclosed garden room of redbuds, serviceberries, and witchhazels.
30’
4.
The tree garden floor is carpeted with shade-loving Pennsylvania sedge. A mowed path leads to a bench nestled in the eastern hedge. To the south, views of the Berkshire ridge line are framed between the hedgerow canopy and stone wall. Evening sun filters past tree trunks casting shadows in the tree garden. To the north and west, openings in the hedge offer moments to view the expanse of the adjacent hayfield and ridge line. The tree garden has flowers in the spring, offers refreshing shade in the summer, and is rich with color in the fall.
5. Vehicles (burial and maintenance only) use the existing utility road and route along the western wall to enter the western parcels. The opening in the wall is widened to allow this vehicle passage. An opening in the hedge can also be used for access from the hayfield (with neighbors’ approval).
6. NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
15’
Providing views of the historic cemetery, meadow and garden room, seating walls are created under the basswood tree when the stone wall is re-laid. See sheet # 15 for seating materials.
Opening in stone wall to the tree garden
Burials
are shown in dark colors; lavender in the meadow and green in the tree garden. The vehicle paths (shown in lighter colors) are marked discreetly and noticeable only to maintenance personnel. Paths leading to the opening in the stone wall and to both seating areas are mowed frequently to allow access. Otherwise, the paths are mowed only when needed for burials to allow for meadow and sedge establishment. In an effort to protect mature tree roots and avoid difficult excavation among large root systems, a ten-foot-wide no-burial buffer of meadow vegetation grows along both sides of the hedgerow. This buffer also allows for vehicle maintenance access. This design permits 196 burials. See sheet # 13 for burial guidelines pertaining to planting trees above burials.
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
A Landscape Design
A
A Tree Garden
Perspective
Proposed Green Cemetery
for
Green Cemetery
Design Alternative l
Meadow
Ireland Street Cemetery
2
Stone Wall
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A PROCESSION
A Boulder/Wood Fence see sheet # 15
A vehicle carrying the deceased moves slowly along a path under an arbor. Family and loved ones follow. The procession moves along a stone wall, past rows of historic tombstones, toward the Berkshires framed ahead. They enter a meadow with a simple circle of stones and trees in the center, and begin the procession of carrying the body along a recently mown path to its resting place.
Utility Road
6
6 Ireland Street
Circle of Stones Seating
3
4
Historic Cemetery
Ireland Street
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
Perspective View
5 Vehicle Access
0’
1.
Beneath a hand-carved wood arbor, a ritual walk along a stone path leads guests to the western parcel. Meaningful symbols carved into the wood arbor overhead frame the Berkshires to the west. See sheet# 13 for woodcarving. Note; Fifteen feet of adjacent property to the south is required for this new entrance. This addition would create a town-owned access to the western parcels and historic cemetery. Removal of ash trees along this southern route would eliminate risk to tombstones of historic cemetery as well as arbor and path.
2.
The arbor procession enters a meadow with a stone circle and cluster of trees. This area provides access for burial vehicles, a place to transfer the deceased, and maintenance access into each of the burial rows. See sheet # 14 for meadow planting plan.
3.
The remaining hedgerow is removed, allowing views of the ridge line to the north, and increasing burial space. The wood is used for the fence, arbor, and benches. NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
A
15’
30’
4.
The linear stone wall of the western parcel is re-laid into a circle, a symbol of the circle of life, surrounding a small group of existing trees. A young tree is planted to become the next generation within this cluster. A portion of the circular stone wall is re-laid in a manner that allows seating (capped seating). See sheet # 15
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
Access Area
Perspective
1
planted above. Redbuds, witchhazels and serviceberries are recommended for their small size, disturbance-tolerant root systems, and varying spring blooming time.
Burials are arranged along the waving paths shown on the
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5. A regularly mowed path guides visitors from the end of the arbor along a central path to the circle of stones and seating. The remaining meadow is mowed annually or for interment access.
6. The corners of the meadow allow for burials with trees
graphic above: dark color for burials and lighter color for paths. For tree planting above burials please see sheet # 13. This plan can accommodate 104 burials.
A Procession
2
Arbor Path
Design Alternative ll
6
Green Cemetery
A Landscape Design
Meadow
6
for
5
Ireland Street Cemetery
Proposed Green Cemetery
Ireland Street
6
Path Basswood
5
HISTORIC CEMETERY
4
90
Meadow
95
Stone Path
100
for
Proposed Green Cemetery
Ireland Street
Bench
3
Green Cemetery
Perspective
Vehicle Access 0’
1.
15’
A
30’
An alternate entrance leads visitors along the utility road just north of the historic cemetery. A stone walk is laid among Pennsylvania sedge leading to the western parcels. Over time the existing stone wall has become lower and wider. When it is re-laid in its current location it will be narrower, providing additional space within property boundary on the north side. However, access on the north side of the wall may need legal right-of-way permission.
4.
2.
6. One-third of the western parcel is designed for those
A threshold is established with two large boulders (obtained locally) as the entrance to the green cemetery. A portion of the historic cemetery stone wall is removed; these stones can be used to enclose the existing opening south of the basswood tree or for fencing. Maintenance vehicle access is also between the boulders.
3.
From the threshold, a path weaves back and forth across the cemetery; mowed regularly, it provides continual access to all graves. The path is eight feet wide for maintenance vehicle access. NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
Several trees are removed within the center of the hedgerow, leaving the basswood and one or two trees in the western area. Southern sun reaches further into the western parcels; a meadow is established. See sheet #14 for meadow.
5.
A semi-circular bench beneath the basswood has views of the ridge line to the north and southwest. The area surrounding the bench is mowed regularly to maintain access.
wishing to have a serviceberry, redbud, or witchhazel planted above their grave. Ground vegetation is planted to match the meadows; certain grass and flower species may thrive more than others within the trees. See sheet #15 for tree plans.
Burials Each burial is accessible along the path. In the green cemetery, some graves are facing north-south and others east-west. Burials with trees above are limited due to the space needed between trees. See sheet #13 for burial and trees guidelines. There are 95 burial spaces within this design.
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
Threshold Boulders
Threshold
2
Ireland Street Cemetery
1
Stone Path
Design Alternative lll
Utility Road
Stone walls/wood fencing see sheet # 15
A stone path through a carpet of soft sedges directs the passage along a stone wall. Distant views of the Berkshires can be seen to the north and west. Two large boulders mark the threshold into the green cemetery. A visitor moves slowly on a weaving path through a meadow and trees. Resting on a bench beneath the basswood tree, a visitor watches the setting sun.
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
A
A Landscape Design
THRESHOLD
Perspective View
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Tree snags
Basswood tree
Seating Wall
Seating Wall
Entrance
1
Ireland Street
3
4
Sculptures
Proposed Green Cemetery
Mowed Path
Seating Wall
Stone or Wood sculpture
95
90
4
Historic Cemetery
Seating Wall
Stone path
2
Visitors enter via the main entrance and stepping stones lead the way across the historic cemetery to a new opening in the western wall.
2.
Two large stone or wood sculptures frame the entrance to the western parcel. See sheet #13. This opening in the stone wall is moved south from the existing placement to prevent walking above existing graves and to allow for future burials in the western part of the historic cemetery. To reduce the risk of trees and limbs falling on historic tombstones, most trees (excluding the basswood and four trees at the corners of the historic cemetery) are removed. Views of the Berkshires are expanded, burial space within the western parcel is increased, and a full-sun microclimate is created. Wood from removed trees can be used for benches and fencing. See sheet #15.
Perspective Vehicle Access
0’
15’
A
30’
4.
Along a mowed spiral path, five stone walls gently emerge and disappear. The walls are dry-laid with capstones for seating using the stones of the existing wall. The seating walls offer different seating locations throughout the green cemetery.
NOTE: This design alternative can also be implemented if the established trees in the hedgerow remain and the understory is cleared. A few of the stone wall structures extend beneath the hedgerow. In this case burials need a ten-foot buffer from trees, or need to be placed between roots. See page #13 for burial guidelines.
5. A meadow is established over time using meadow plan 2 (sheet #14) by leaving existing hay to grow, and overseeding with meadow mix atop graves as they are created. Plugs (shown in dark purple) of meadow mix are planted around the entrance, the basswood tree, and each of the stone wall curves.
Burials:
Seating Walls NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
Green Cemetery
4
1.
3.
100
Burials are placed in a spiral following the paths pattern. The corners of the property are not reached by the path and are recommended as first burial sites due to subsequently limited access for burial maintenance vehicle. This design allows for 135 burials. See sheet #13 for burial guidelines.
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
MEADOW
Ireland Street
Stones Speak
4
4
5
for
Seating Wall
Ireland Street Cemetery
vehicle access
Design Alternative lV
Utility Road
Buried Utility Cable
Live Willow Fence see sheet # 15
A stone path leads the visitor through the historic cemetery to an opening in a stone wall. Sculptures frame the entrance into a meadow. Mirroring the rolling hills of the distant Berkshires, curved stone walls emerge and disappear into the earth along a spiral mowed path, leading to the center of the meadow.
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
STONES SPEAK
A
A Landscape Design
Perspective View
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•
Local horticulture and/or garden clubs.
•
Residents interested in being stewards of a green cemetery. (Allows for personal interaction with the land where a loved one is buried or perhaps they themselves would be buried).
GREEN BURIAL SOURCES AND ALLIANCES Sculpting opportunities within the designs:
The Green Burial Council (GBC) is a nonprofit organization working to encourage environmental sustainability in the deathcare industry. It is a private organization that provides standards and a certification program for burial grounds, funeral homes, and burial products. Alliance with this council can provide Chesterfield with continued direction in green burial procedures. www.greenburialcouncil.org
•wood trellis
•boulders •grave markers •trunks of removed trees
stones as sculpture
carved symbols in stone
sculpted tree trunk
BURIALS AND TREES
GRAVE MAINTENANCE
Burials with trees planted on top of the corpse are limited due to space. The three trees recommended in the designs need an average of 15 to 25 feet distance from each other. Due to the small size of the cemetery, it is recommended that if a tree is planted over a grave, the next burial is placed within a 10-foot area around the trunk of that tree, to minimize root disturbance from subsequent burials as the tree grows. This is known as a sequential burial system that allows the landscape features to coincide with burials.
Maintain the integrity of soils by separating soil layers as
GRAVE MARKERS In keeping with the natural setting, stone markers are inscribed on field stones and placed flush to the ground. This allows maintenance access to the green cemetery. The trees, meadow grasses, and wildflowers serve as upright memorials in the green cemetery. In addition, stones of the circle wall in the Procession design or curved walls in the Stones Speak design may be inscribed with names or symbols. It is required by Massachusetts law that all graves be marked. NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
graves are dug, and replacing the soil in similar layers after burial. Removing plants with care and keeping roots intact allows for re-planting them above the grave being dug or transplanting them elsewhere in the meadow. When digging near trees, cut through rather than pull roots. A ten-foot buffer to protect the core root system may be needed around established trees. Burial closer to a tree is possible if burial is between major roots. This may require a person skilled in detecting root growth. It takes up to a year or more for the ground to subside above a grave. Recent graves should be checked and leveled if needed during the subsidence period.
The Green Burial Committee, a subcommittee of the
Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts (FCAWM), is a local committee dedicated to raising awareness and finding local green burial options for western Massachusetts residents. www.greenburialma.org
GRAVE DENSITY Currently, there is no standard for density at green burial sites. Several green burial cemeteries in the USA, ranging in size from 20 to 1000 acres, operate on a density range from 30 to 700 burials per acre. At Ireland Street Cemetery, spacing burials apart would allow for organic matter to disperse. Over time the plots adjacent to previous graves can be used. The exception to this are graves with trees planted above, which should be dug sequentially. The town may wish to determine how many burials there should be per year, the location of burials on site, and how the plots will be sold. The town may have a system where a person buys a meadow or tree garden plot and the steward of the cemetery decides its location at interment. This system would also make it easier for burial vehicles to access plots.
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
Educational institutes (ecology, landscape design research or horticulture departments).
Ireland Street Cemetery
The passage of time is well represented in Chesterfield; what measures are needed now for this to continue?
•
Design Precedents
Seek out partnership with parties interested in establishing and maintaining a meadow including:
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
Three centuries of burial symbolism are represented on the tombstones of Ireland Street Cemetery. In keeping with this tradition, all four design alternatives propose partnership or collaboration with local residents, artists and religious communities, perhaps to organize a stone or wood carving contest to be displayed in the cemetery, or a community forum to discuss how current ideals, beliefs or symbols can be memorialized in stone and wood.
for
HORTICULTURE PARTNERSHIPS
A Landscape Design
Stone and Wood
13/15
Sideoats Grama
Black-Eyed Susan
Appalachian Beardtongue Wild Bergamont
Wild Senna
Ohio Spiderwort
Smooth Blue Aster
Oxeye Sunflower
Schizachyrium scoparium
Bouteloau curtipendula
Elymus hystrix
Rudbeckia hirta
Senna hebecarpa
Penstemon digitalis
Asclepias syriaca
Babtisia australis
Morda fistulosa
Penstemon laevigatus
Tradescantia ohiensis
Aster laevis
Heliopsis helianthoides
Height
2’-3’
2’
2’-5’
1’-3’
3’-4’
4’
5’
5’
3’-4’
4’
3’
1’-4’
3’
Bloom Time
July-Oct
July-Sept
June-Aug
June-Oct yellow
Aug yellow
May-July white
June-Aug pale purple
May-June violet
Jun-Sept lavender
May-June violet purple
April-July blue/purple
Aug-Oct blue/violet
July-Sept yellow
Seed Mix Percentage
45%
15%
15%
4%
4%
3%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
The above chart indicates a meadow composition of 65% grasses and 35% wildflowers, approximating the composition of a native meadow.The average grass height is 3 feet to allow for visual openness. The wildflowers range from 1 to 5 feet. A mature meadow provides abundant habitat for butterflies, birds, and other animals. This type of meadow offers a serene and peaceful appearance as well as a manageable planting system adapted for the inherent disturbances of burials. In addition, meadows can control erosion, absorb water, and create nutrient-rich soils.
NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
Meadows take time to establish, usually three years or more. Once established they require little maintenance. However, in these first years they need extra attention. Two options for transition from the existing hayfield are: 1. A tillage-based seeding of the meadow. The fields are tilled and immediately seeded with the above mix. The hay will most likely re-emerge, but the other grasses will out-compete it over time. Monitoring and eradicating invasives during establishment is important. The mature field requires mowing once a year and burning every three years. This strategy is expensive and requires high amounts of labor initially. Target grazing with sheep or goats is an effective alternative to using herbicides.
2. The second option is to allow the hay to grow and mow it once a year in late winter or fall. This allows possible meadow plants to over-seed in the spring. The meadow plants can be introduced to the area over time by plugs, direct seeding, or frost seeding. Frost seeding uses grazing (sheep, cattle or goats) in the fall, freezing and thawing in the winter and spring rains to seed a pasture. This is a low-cost/ low-maintenance alternative for changing species composition in a pasture. Burials may occur at different stages of meadow establishment. While digging a grave, care should be used to keep roots structure intact, so they can be buried back onto the grave. In any case, a family may wish to select a specific species from the list above, or a small packet of seeds can be made available to all families.
Meadow Vegetation
Botanical name
A Landscape Design
for
Little Bluestem
Blue False Indigo
Tall White Beardtongue
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
Bottlebrush Grass
Ireland Street Cemetery
Common Milkweed
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
Meadow Plan
14/15
Hamamelis virginiana
Amelanchier laevis
Cercis canadensis
Botanical name
Ilex glabra
Botanical name
Carex pensylvanica
Common name
Common Witchhazel
Allegheny Serviceberry
Eastern Redbud
Common name
Inkberry
Common name
Pennsylvania Sedge
Height
20’-35’
15’-25’
20’-35’
Height
6’-12’
Height
6-12”
SpringBloom / Flower
April White
mid April-May Pink
SpringBloom / Flower
May- June white/green
SpringSummer color
green
Summer
Fruit Jun-July Attracts Songbirds
Fall / Winter Interest
Fruit Sept-Mar attracts bees, songbirds and waterfowl
Fall Winter color
sandy tan
Habitat
sun-shade
Fall Interest Habitat
Sept-Nov bright yellow
orange/ red
shade tolerant sun-shade
golden yellow part shadeshade
Habitat
full sun/part shade
The undeveloped western parcels at Ireland Street Cemetery are continuous with the neighboring apple orchard and hayfield. Marking the boundary is important in establishing this new area as a cemetery. In addition to the hedge proposed in A Tree Garden design, fencing options below range from a porous boundary of boulders or a live
Three trees are recommended for several reasons; shade tolerance, small height, spring blooms and fall colors. The Pensylvania sedge ground cover is low maintenance, tolerates sun and shade, and has a soft texture. The hedge provides a living boundary from the hayfield, and will be a year-round attraction for songbirds.
SEATING
The sustainable seating and fencing options balance the historic cemetery features, the agricultural landscape, and the simple and naturalistic intention of green burial cemeteries.
FENCING
stone seating walls Three-foot-high combination of stone walls and wood fencing. Wood is placed in grooves of upright stones.
Town of Chesterfield Massachusetts Fall 2013
Botanical name
Stone walls used for seating are multipurpose and can provide seating options without using additional space. Design options use material found on-site, but outside resources may be needed, for instance, the flat stones required for capped seating tops.
Ireland Street Cemetery
Perennial Ground Cover
Michele Carlson Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design Conway, MA 01341 www.csld.edu
Evergreen Hedge
willow fence, to a boundary of a more solid stone wall.
for
Trees
Stone walls are a New England feature that tell a story of place. They were built for a utilitarian purpose and have, over time, become a treasured aspect of the landscape. The stone walls of the historic cemetery clearly define the boundary of this sacred space. With that in mind, fencing alternatives proposed in the designs use materials from the earth, and as much as possible from the site itself. Wood from removed trees can be used to create fence posts, or stones from the wall in the western parcels can be used within the designs. Boulders and stones from local farms or other sites can be sought out.
A Landscape Design
VEGETATION
Cap-stones are used to create seating along stone walls
Stone walls similar to historic cemetery stone walls.
moveable bench in garden room
NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY.
circular seating around basswood tree
Live willow fence. Willow whips placed into the ground and woven together.
Vegetation & Materials
Local boulders are grooved and connected with planks of wood to create low fencing structure.
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