Newspaper and media stories about the cemetery,
Big things are happening at Oak Grove. The Prospect St. entrance will be closed for several months while the granite archway and iron gates are restored. The Oak Grove Avenue entry at the back will be open for entry. Read all about it at this link http://www.heraldnews.com/news/20170521/oak-grove-cemetery-arches-to-get-makeover
Perhaps the most unusual monument in the cemetery is this 9 x 7 1/2 x 4 granite miniature mill which serves as a lasting memorial to mill owner F.H. Stafford The windows are reproduced in faithful detail as well as the doors on each storey which were needed for loading. The doors even boast minutely executed keyholes!
It was the wish of Mr. Stafford to erect this lasting tribute to his life’s work, and it was erected shortly after his death in 1892. The site was well-chosen as it is located upon a high hill section of the cemetery which overlooks the many smokestacks of the southeastern part of the city.
The concept of a beautifully -landscaped park where families might come to visit departed Loved Ones was first fully-realized in London’s Highgate and Cambridge’s Mount Auburn. The Victorians rivalled the Ancient Egyptians in their ritual observances of death and burial, monuments and memorials. Beautiful Oak Grove Cemetery in the North end of Fall River is one of many New England mid- century Victorian memorial parks where the streets are named for trees, and fanciful wrought iron gates enclose the fine families of the city like fences of stately homes in the earthly life.
For those who love cemeteries, – the peacefulness and quiet of the Past- Oak Grove holds unparalleled verdant vistas and peerless carved monuments of another age. Whether a student of Victorian symbolism , or of Fall River history- a pensive hour spent in silence at Oak Grove is a retreat from the pressures of modern society, and a glimpse into the intriguing past of the city’s notable citizens.
Plagued with the problems all cemeteries are faced with today, vandalism, landscaping and maintenance costs, security, lack of volunteerism, etc. -perhaps now is the time for those who truly appreciate the heritage and history enclosed within the gates and walls of Oak Grove to come together.
Friends of Oak Grove Cemetery 