Cemetery Restoration/Expansion Creates Welcoming Space for Reflection
Faced with a lack of space for new interments, St. Paul Parish is undergoing a five-year restoration and expansion project to increase capacity and extend the lifetime of its historic cemetery in Hingham.
Halvorson | Tighe & Bond Studio developed a master plan for the 141-year-old cemetery to preserve its historic character, beautify the site through the introduction of new trees and plantings, enhance the entry experience, improve wayfinding, and create new spaces for burials and other forms of memorialization. The master plan identifies character zones, based on the years of expansion, and locates opportunities for new burials, by infilling some of the smaller side roads and making use of newer parcels. A redesigned fence and new plantings will buffer the cemetery from the road to reduce noise.
To create a sense of arrival, the front lawn is being reimagined and will feature a communal memorial, such as a columbarium wall, as well as new benches and plantings to create a welcoming space for reflection.
