Pillars & Foundations

While much of my focus in Pillars & Foundations had focused on places of worship and more recently, cemeteries, community cornerstones such as libraries has always been on my radar to feature. Undoubtedly the have an enormous impact on communities serving as fountains of knowledge and centers to organize activities that benefit the community they reside within. On an early summer trip to western Massachusetts we stopped in Adams, wandered around the town center, and took time to visit the prominently located public library. It's yellow/tan bricks make it stand out as it looks down upon McKinley Square. A statue of William McKinley stands in the center of the square. McKinley was the 25th president of the United States until he was assassinated in 1901 by Leon Czolgosz , an anarchist who saw the action as a protest against social inequity. Theodore Roosevelt ascended to the presidency ushering in the modern Progressive era. McKinley's connection to Adams, MA, was that he la...

It's been a while, a year actually since I've posted in Pillars & Foundations. The thought has been there however like many I've tried to navigate this altered state that we exist in. Like many of you I've sought out different methods of managing my peace of mind. For me it has been escaping to nature when I can for look solitary walks in the forest. While not a solid excuse, my blogging has certainly taken a hit by re-dedication of time. Of course my exploration of community institutions, and places of worship has also taken a hit by curbs on social gatherings. I suspect these days I would get more strange looks showing up somewhere I don't regularly attend, with the justified concerns of people, and often reduced attendance of services. At the end of this summer I happened upon Union Chapel in North Hampton, NH when my wife and I were visiting the gorgeous Fuller Gardens . The chapel is directly across the street from the parking lot, with a view of the Atlant...

I happened to be driving through Burlington to complete some errands, and I took the opportunity to take a stroll through this historic cemetery. The fall colors were past peak at the time, but still had a contrast to the greys of the headstones, and the browns and fading green of New England ground rapidly transitioning into winter.  Find a Grave's website , as typical is the go-to place to find information about this burial site. It notes that the site dates to the 1730s and was utilized for the Revolutionary War, as well as veterans of the war of 1812. The headstone above, of a Reverend, features this fascinating art work that seems like something created for a movie. I'm not terribly well acquainted with trends, however this strikes me as very unusual.  Text and photographs by George Parks Sources are embedded in links Follow Pillars & Foundations on Twitter Follow Pillars & Foundations on Pinterest

Bell Rock Cemetery in Malden is also known as the Old Burial Ground, and apparently according to Find A Grave , " Sandy Bank Cemetery ," originally, for which there is a Wikipedia page . According to Wikipedia it was placed on the U.S. Register of National Historic Places in 1981. Also of note, apparently the headstones and their engravings have been well documented and are searchable in the Malden Public Library. For those familiar with the layout of Malden Massachusetts its location would likely be surprising, several blocks away from what is currently "Malden Center," on the side of a hill in a relatively low lying area. The neighborhood today is comprised of dense residential approaching the Malden River and flanked by the MBTA train tracks and some industrial zones. The first meeting house of Malden was located near the cemetery, on Bell Rock hill, formerly called Bailey's Hill. The oldest headstone in the graveyard is said to date to 1670.  Pleasantly this...

Old Burial Ground, Lynnfield, Massachusetts Also known as Lynnfield Centre Cemetery , this burial ground has Revolutionary War veterans amongst those interred. The location is picturesque, cornered between the town center, a stone's throw from an old meeting house, shadowed by towering white pines, and on the edge of wetlands, this site is quintessential rural New England. As a visitor you can't help but look at it and imagine how settlers in the recent past laid down their roots in a raw, wild environment. The challenges they must have faced, and yet they strived to create these dignified monuments to their forbearers surrounded by the rugged lands they hoped to tame. Today, just over a couple centuries later, the frenetic energy of greater Boston envelops it while allowing this town to maintain its quaint, traditional beauty. Somewhat surprisingly, there isn't a lot written about this location, at least not something easily searchable on the internet. The leads w...

West Burying Ground, Lynnfield, Massachusetts Amazingly I was not able to find very much information on " West Burying Ground ," which is also apparently known as Main Street Cemetery. Other than a quick mention of a ceremony being held there on Memorial day , my internet searches didn't even produce a mention of what wars the veterans interred here may have fought in. I would speculate the battles could span from Revolutionary War, to War of 1812, and the Civil War with the 1813 date. But scanning through the details of the graves I'm finding many of the people laid to rest were born too close or late to likely have served in the Revolutionary War. There are two burial sites in close proximity in Lynnfield, both of which date relatively far back in the area's short history of British/non-native settlers. I will spend time discussing Lynnfield's "Old Burying Ground," which is logically (wait for it,) older in another post for another day...