National Register of Historic Places

Mount Auburn Cemetery Reception House

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
June 29, 1983
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83000818

About this property

The 1870 Mount Auburn Cemetery Reception House is an historic building that originally served as the reception house of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The building is located at 583 Mount Auburn Street, across the street from the cemetery, and is no longer part of the cemetery. A new reception house was built on the cemetery grounds in 1896. When Mount Auburn Cemetery was opened in 1831, it quickly developed as a popular outing destination for the local population. Its popularity was such that the first horse-drawn trolley route in New England was built with a terminus at the cemetery's entrance in 1853. Demand for function spaces related to funeral activities also increased, prompting the cemetery trustees to consider building a reception hall. The cemetery's first reception house was built in 1870 to a design by Nathaniel J. Bradlee, and is one of only two surviving designs of his in Cambridge. The building was commissioned by the cemetery trustees as a place to hold receptions and other functions. It is a single story building 46 feet (14 m) wide and 30 feet (9.1 m) deep, with a full-width porch supported by four tapered columns, and a projecting center gable supported by two additional columns. The gable and the frieze board above the columns are decorated with incised floral patterns, while the tympanum of the gable end has a cartouche for a clock. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It now houses a funerary monuments company. National Register of Historic Places listings in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Location

583 Mt. Auburn St.
Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.37573, -71.14530

Categories

ARCHITECTURERELIGION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

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Larches, The
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Lowell, The
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Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
1.8 mi
Skirmish at Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
2.7 mi
Battle of Menotomy
1775Revolutionary War
2.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Mount Auburn Cemetery Reception House listed on the National Register?

Mount Auburn Cemetery Reception House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Mount Auburn Cemetery Reception House?

Mount Auburn Cemetery Reception House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Mount Auburn Cemetery Reception House?

The period of significance for Mount Auburn Cemetery Reception House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Mount Auburn Cemetery Reception House?

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