LYNN — Eastern Burial Ground, the second-largest of Lynn’s three city-owned cemeteries, is undergoing a cleanup process after receiving a community development block grant from the city.
Soldiers from the Revolutionary War, Spanish-American War, and Civil War, among others, are laid to rest at the Union Street cemetery, which has been inactive for over 100 years. Lynn Community Facilities Manager Ivan Gort explained what led to the buildup of overgrown trees and weeds at the burial ground.
“We are in some ways over capacity, so things like that can fall by the wayside, especially in comparison to Pinegrove Cemetery, which is much bigger and active,” he said.
However, Gort emphasized the importance of maintaining Eastern Burial Ground for Lynn residents.
“It’s a very vital part of Lynn’s history, so it’s important to preserve. It’s also a green spot in the downtown area, which provides a lot of benefits when it comes to cleaning the air,” he said.
Lynn Cemetery Commission was urged to take action this summer, and was given $25,000 for the first phase of the process, which includes landscaping, trash removal, and tree pruning. The team is currently over halfway through phase one.
“In consultation with Mayor Nicholson we made a decision to fund this project with Community Development Block Grant funding. The Community Development Block Grant funding we receive on an annual basis can be utilized for historic preservation, especially in low and moderate income areas,” wrote Lynn Development Director James Marsh.
Both Marsh and Gort are satisfied with the progress that has been made with phase one. While Gort described phase one’s tasks as “not hard to achieve,” he also highlighted some challenges with the project.
“Contractors will leave areas that are overgrown and mow around them,” he said.
Gort emphasized that he does not fault the contractors for this situation, as he said the weed-hacking is not a clearly indicated part of their contracts.
“It’s not as though there was no maintenance taking place, because there was. It’s mostly a communication thing, to tell the contractors what the expectations are,” he said.
Meanwhile, phase two of the clean-up process will be a larger and more difficult undertaking. The Lynn Cemetery Commission will need to utilize a historical preservationist to catalog a list of who is laid to rest at Eastern Burial Ground in order to identify, repair, and reset headstones.
The state of phase two is currently uncertain, as it is subject to availability of further funding from Lynn Community Development.
“It’s a longer term thing, so we need to keep an eye on it due to the historical aspect,” Gort said.
