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Resident proposes guided tours at Oak Grove Cemetery; commission to refer request to Parks Department
Summary
A South Coast resident requested permission to host professionally guided and optional lantern-lit tours at Oak Grove Cemetery; the commission recommended she contact the Parks Department and the Preservation Society as first steps.
A Fall River resident asked the Historical Commission to consider permitting professionally guided walking tours at Oak Grove Cemetery and the commission agreed July 22 to refer the request to city Parks Department staff and to suggest coordination with the Preservation Society.
The commission read a letter from Catherine (Katie) Paschal of 166 Cliff Avenue in Swansea seeking permission to host guided tours highlighting notable interments and the cemetery’s cultural and architectural history. Paschal proposed optional Victorian-period costumes for guides and occasional lantern-lit evening tours, and said she would comply with permits, insurance and coordination with cemetery management.
Commissioners said similar programs have been run by the Preservation Society and suggested Paschal’s first point of contact should be the Parks Department to secure necessary authorizations. The commission’s staff member said he would locate the Parks Department contact and reply to Paschal with guidance.
There was no formal vote; the action was a staff referral and an agreement to respond to the writer with contact information and next steps.
Why it matters: Oak Grove contains graves of locally notable figures and is used for heritage tourism in other communities; formal authorization and coordination with Parks Department and cemetery management are required for public events on city-owned grounds.
