Nahant moves forward with cemetery expansion plan

NAHANT – The town is preparing to move ahead with expansion plans for Greenlawn Cemetery.Nahant Town Administrator Mark Cullinan said the plans for the expansion of the cemetery have been completed and he expects the project to cost between $2.5 and $3 million.The expansion would be across the street from the existing cemetery behind the Spindrift and police station.Cullinan said the existing cemetery has enough burial space for the next four or five years.”It’s something the town needs to come to grips with,” he said. “I expect the expansion project would take at least two years. It’s a big site job and there are a lot of walls that need to be built, so that doesn’t give us a lot of wiggle room.”Cullinan said the current economic climate could actually save the town money on the project.”There are reasons to move forward when the economy is bad,” he said. “The town could get lower interest rates and there are plenty of contractors looking for work so bids for the project would probably come in lower than they would when there’s an upswing in the economy.Cullinan said he expects the proposed expansion to meet the needs of the town for at least another 75 years.Cullinan said the selectmen are expected to discuss ways to fund the project in the near future and one thing being discussed is a Proposition 21/2 override, which could be added to the Town Meeting warrant this spring.Cullinan said if the town is able to bond the project for 40 years, the impact on taxpayers would be negligible.”I think at the end of the day we’re going to have to go to the town and bond this,” he said. “We did some pre-need sale of lots in the old portion of the cemetery a few years ago but it would be difficult to pre-sell what isn’t built yet.”Cullinan said town officials are looking at other ways to help minimize costs including memorial donations for terrace walls and a reflection room. Anyone interested in making memorial donations towards the project should contact Cullinan at 781-581-9927.The historic Greenlawn Cemetery sits on a gently sloping hill with benches overlooking the ocean.The cemetery is the final resting place for many town leaders and some of the graves date back to 1853 when Nahant was incorporated. When Nahant petitioned for separation from Lynn, the residents decided they needed to purchase land for a burial site. The town purchased two acres of land for $1,200 and started work on the cemetery immediately.Over the past decade the aging cemetery has received a much-needed facelift. The grounds were surveyed to identify boundaries and grave lots. The wrought iron gates, complete with brass medallions, were restored and a replica of the original rear vault door was installed. The archway and stonewall along Nahant Road were restored and the back fence was replicated using the original patterns.Inside the cemetery is Ellingwood Chapel, a gothic building that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Architect Ralph Adams Cram designed the historic chapel, which was built in 1818-1819 with stone quarried from the cliffs behind what is now the Spindrift and police station.