Master Plan Preserves Cemetery’s Historical Integrity
A pioneer of the garden cemetery movement in the US, Mount Hope is a magnificent cultural landscape—founded in 1838 by the City of Rochester—that is facing diminishing land resources as well as insufficient revenue to support its preservation.
The City commissioned Halvorson | Tighe & Bond Studio to assist with a master planning process that recognizes the need for careful stewardship of the cemetery and responds to three primary goals: prolong Mount Hope’s function as an active cemetery, preserve the integrity of the cultural landscape, and elevate its horticultural stature.
Master Plan Offerings
Halvorson’s plan offers preservation and development guidelines to provide a comprehensive framework for long-term management of Mount Hope’s resources. The master plan takes an in-depth look at the existing vegetation and presents a plan to manage it as a historically significant arboretum. This plan will be used by the City to preserve the historic integrity of the cemetery, rehabilitate deteriorated landscapes and facilities, efficiently utilize diminishing land resources, and enable new sources of revenue. Finally, it offers a phased implementation plan for major capital projects and other initiatives.
