Now that the snow has melted and spring is (tentatively) here, visitors can once again stroll the Old Burying Ground behind First Church, adjacent to Garden Street — on long-buried brick walkways that had been forgotten for decades.
The cemetery, one of the oldest in the country, is the resting place for an octet of Harvard presidents including the first, Henry Dunster, his successor Charles Chauncy, John Leverett and Edward Holyoke, as well as Neptune Frost, an enslaved man believed to have served in the Revolutionary War. But for years, there were no paths, only graves and open green space.
Last summer, Denise Jillson, the Harvard Square Business Association’s executive director, noticed what seemed to brick walkways, buried beneath sod. It turned out that the pathways were installed in the 1930s, with help from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), city officials said. Jillson, who has lived in Cambridge and Somerville most of her life, said she can’t remember ever seeing the brickwork.
The paths were restored — improving accessibility for visitors — by Harvard students in the Hasty Pudding Club. They had asked Jillson about volunteer opportunities to fulfill community service requirements. Jillson said the students went “above and beyond” in their effort and commitment.
One lingering issue remains: ongoing maintenance of the pathways. Responsibility technically falls to the City of Cambridge, while Harvard oversees a small enclosed section. Jillson said she plans to work with the Department of Public Works (DPW) and use HSBA resources — including staff and interns — to maintain the paths.
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Why did the Hasty Pudding Club students need to perform community service?
Which section of the cemetery does Harvard own? Why? Who is buried there?