Oak Grove Cemetery Entrance

Fall River, MA

Civitects, PC worked with the City of Fall River to restore the masonry and wrought iron at the historic Oak Grove Cemetery Entrance Gate.

The cemetery was designed in 1855 by Josiah Brown, who also designed several prominent Mills around Fall River including the Union Mill Complex located on Pleasant St. It was designed in the Rural Garden Style and features Gothic Revival design elements, including the main entry gate made of locally quarried Fall River Granite. For several decades, Oak Grove was considered to be the fashionable place to be buried and is the final resting place of many Fall River elites. The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 1873 ironwork, consisting of pedestrian and vehicular gates and an ornate cross atop the granite arch, was carefully restored, and damaged or missing elements were replaced with new castings. Areas, where the hand-cut granite masonry was loose, were repaired and reconstructed, removing previous patchwork and organic material. The mortar joints were carefully hand raked, cleaned, and repointed.

This project was funded by the Fall River Community Preservation Act.