Chair proposes feasibility study to adapt Rural Cemetery water tower as columbarium

Chair Kevin Miller proposed on Nov. 5 that the commission explore adaptive reuse of the Rural Cemetery's 1903 stone water tower as a columbarium (a repository for cremated remains). He said he contacted William Rawn Associates, which had done a recent Mount Auburn Cemetery project, and that a principal at the firm responded positively to a feasibility exploration.

Miller said the structure is a robust stone tower with historic value but needs work: pointing, partial mortar replacement and a new roof. He framed the idea as both preservation and municipal planning: a sensitively restored tower fitted for urn niches or other inurnment systems could provide the rough equivalent of tenths of an acre of burial capacity in a town where in-ground space is limited and cremation is increasingly common.

Commissioners discussed preservation constraints and funding. Grant Farrington and Dan Blanchard noted that Secretary of the Interior rehabilitation standards and CPA (Community Preservation Act) eligibility impose limits on alterations; Farrington emphasized CPA funds may not support substantial modern interventions that change the tower's historic appearance. Dan Blanchard and others argued adaptive reuse that preserves the exterior while making interior modifications can increase the tower's long-term viability. The commission did not commit money but supported arranging a site visit and a preliminary feasibility discussion with the architect to develop options and cost estimates that could be considered by the select board, CPC or other funders.