In Watertown, within Mt. Auburn Cemetery, is this grave for Charles Bulfinch, a well-known American architect.
Mt. Auburn Cemetery is located at the Watertown-Cambridge line, along Mt. Auburn Street. From there, it is best to get a map at the chapel-information office by the entrance. There are two sizes - I believe the grave is marked on both maps, but, I can be sure that he is marked as number 11. It is located on Bellwort Path, a walking path on a hill between Spruce Street and Walnut Avenue. Parking is challenging here. Both roads are narrow and are not parkable. We parked on a circle at Laural Street. The grave is on the north side of the path.
The marker is a tall stone structure with an urn feature at the top on a block. The material seems to be marble. It is in good condition though the words are worn and hard to read.
Inscription on the monument:
Most of it is really hard to decipher.
The side facing the path is a summary biography of Charles Bulfinch's life. Parts deciphered:
"Sacred to the memory of
CHARLES BULFINCH
A.D. 1763
Graduate of Harvard College
A.D. 1781
Chairman of the ---
from 1797 to 1817
Architect of the State House of Massachusetts
from 1795 to 1798
Architect [ ? ] of the Capital of the United States
from 1815 to 1826
He died...
April 15, 1844
..."
On the opposite side is a short biography for his wife, Hannah Bulfinch (Apthorp).
This I found on findagrave.com for one of his children:
Their Children:
Charles Bulfinch
Born A.D. 1791; Died A.D. 1862
Thomas Bulfinch
Born A.D. 1796;Graduated A.D. 1814; Died A.D. 1867
Stephen Greenleaf Bulfinch
Minister of the Gospel
Born In Boston, June 18, 1809
Died Oct 12, 1870, Aged 61 Years
Francis Vaughn Bulfinch
Born In Boston, May 23, 1803
Died Sept 23, 1887
The other side I just can't make out enough.
Charles Bulfinch is well known in architecture. His most famous buildings include:
The "new" and current Massachusetts State House
Harrison Gray Otis House (Cambridge Street, Boston)
Old Connecticut State House
Faneuil Hall (Boston)
University Hall, Harvard Univiersity (Cambridge, MA)
Maine State House
He also was appointed by President James Monroe in 1818 as architect of the U.S. Capitol, succeeding Benjamin Henry Latrobe. He was able to finish the Capitol in 1829.
Sources:
Findagrave (Charles Bulfinch):
(
visit link)