Last updated: June 11, 2024
Place
Pittsfield Cemetery
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
Western Massachusetts in the 1910s was not just a vacation spot for city dwellers, but becoming a bustling area itself, specifically Pittsfield. As the area grew space was needed, for both the living and the dead, and so the Olmsted Brothers were hired to layout new sections of the cemetery, which they did.
In 1929, Olmsted Brothers returned to Pittsfield, MA at the request of Mr. and Mrs. Merle Graves. Olmsted Brothers had recently completed a nearby residential project for the family, and, pleased with their work, the Graves hired them to design their burial plot.
The resulting design contoured to the natural forms of nearby boulders, surrounded by yew, barberry, and rhododendron, all of which are accentuated by near neon, vibrant, blooming crocuses.
Source: "Explore Pittfields 'Beautiful City of the Dead,'" The Berkshire Edge
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr
In 1929, Olmsted Brothers returned to Pittsfield, MA at the request of Mr. and Mrs. Merle Graves. Olmsted Brothers had recently completed a nearby residential project for the family, and, pleased with their work, the Graves hired them to design their burial plot.
The resulting design contoured to the natural forms of nearby boulders, surrounded by yew, barberry, and rhododendron, all of which are accentuated by near neon, vibrant, blooming crocuses.
Source: "Explore Pittfields 'Beautiful City of the Dead,'" The Berkshire Edge
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr