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These high quality, full-color calendars are spiral bound and printed on heavy cardstock
Our calendars feature photographic contributions by Mary Beth Rigby and William Moniz as well as historic images donated from private collections
Layout by Ann Keane
Additionally, the birth dates of notable historical figures are observed throughout
Limited quantities of our calendars are available for $15 and make a wonderful holiday gift
Shipping is an additional $1 per calendar. Those in the Fall River area may arrange for pickup. Please call or email to reserve your copy or to arrange for pickup
Payment may be mailed to:
The friends of oak grove cemetery
96 colfax street
Fall river, MA 02720
Ph: 508-642-9636
- Inscription Survey: A survey form has been completed and we plan to begin recording headstone inscriptions soon.
- Fall River Street Tree Planting Program:
On Tuesday July 28th at 7PM in the 1st floor meeting room of the FR Library (Main Branch), the FRSTPP will be hosting a session on Tree Disease and Insects. FRSTPP has provided considerable support with our tree planting efforts. Hope to see you there!
- People, Inc.: Although we have had considerable rain of late, People, Inc. has provided us with a much needed service. Specifically, watering and caring for the 30 trees which FOG has planted over the past year. Our thanks to Bill Perkins and the fine folks at People, Inc.!
- Fall River Spirit: We’d like to once again extend our appreciation to reporter Bill Moniz for his efforts in getting our work recognized and for covering our May tree planting.
- Healthy City Fall River: David Weed, coordinator of HCFR, has developed another web page spotlighting our recent tree planting. Here is a link to the page: http://www.gfrpartners.com/09OakGroveTreePlanting.html
This particularly beautiful tall arch is to be found in the central west end of Oak Grove and is a familiar symbol of passing through from one state to another- from earthly to celestial, from life to the hereafter.
There are smaller arches, gateways and doors to be found in Oak Grove, some found carved onto tabular monuments and others carved completely as the symbol itself. This one has an Egyptian inspiration- complete with canopic jar.
Easily the tallest monument in the cemetery, the lady on the apex is oft-mistaken as being Lizzie Borden by visitors from out of town. This is actually the monument of Richard Borden and is surrounded by many other kin of the Borden family. The obelisk which rivals the Washington Monument in the backgorund marks the grave of Jefferson Borden. Both of these men were captains of industry, mill barons, and wielded much influence in banking and business in the city.
| (Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep sung by Ben Crawley, with Boys Choir Libera, text below) |
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| Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints in snow, I am the sunlight and ripened grain. I am the gentle Autumn rain.Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep. When you awake in the morning hush, I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep. |
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Long before the backhoe, the six-foot deep hole for the coffin had to be dug by hand with pickaxe and shovel. In the nineteenth century, during the iron cold winters in New England, sometimes it was necessary to store the coffin until the January thaw or Spring when the frost was out of the ground. There are several of these Egyptian Revival style holding tombs which were built into hills or mounds, each containing shelving on either side of the interior to hold 6-8 coffins. Today this particular tomb houses lawn mowing equipment. This holding tomb, which is at the west side of the cemetery near the main entrance, housed the two coffins of Abby and Andrew Borden for a week while city medical examiner, Dr. Dolan, arranged for a complete autopsy on the bodies to be held at Oak Grove in the Ladies Comfort Station. It was there that the two skulls were removed and held for trial evidence on August 11, 1892.
One type of monument especially popular from the Civil War through 1900 is the white bronze or zinc monument. White bronze is a misnomer, for the monument is not made of bronze, but rather zinc or more rarely, iron. The final patina is whitish to pale blue to darker blue, and the great benefit of this type of monument is that the embossed metal panels and ornaments hold epitaphs and images in sharp relief for a very long time. They seem to take the weather, moss and lichen growth and acid rain exceptionally well. The only drawback is that attached elements, such as a top urn, can be easily snapped off, and seams, especially at the base, can separate. With the proper method of repair, however, this is not much of a problem, but trouble results when concrete is used as a filler. The zinc monument offers a good crisp image for monument rubbing using rice paper and soft heelball wax. For more information on zinc monuments, visit these two links below. Oak Grove has many beautiful examples of this monument type.
http://www.si.edu/mci/english/research/conservation/zinc_sculptures.html
http://www.tngenweb.org/darkside/white.html
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