HONORING THE DEPARTED SINCE 1841 | | AN ACTIVE BURIAL PLACE RICH IN HISTORY | | As spring blooms, we honor the past and welcome new beginnings. | |
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Hello Michael,
Welcome to the Spring 2025 edition of “Epitaph,” Lowell Cemetery’s newsletter.
After a cold and snowy January and February, March arrived and with it came Daylight Savings Time, more sunshine, and warmer temperatures. Spring is in the air.
Lowell Cemetery’s Grounds Supervisor, Patrick Agonis is looking forward to welcoming back our seasonal employees in mid-April. Patrick, who reports to our Superintendent, Seth Durno, leads a crew of two to eight groundskeepers in the Cemetery’s year-round, day-to-day operations. You can read about Patrick’s and the Cemetery’s landscaping plans for April, May, and June in an interview that appears in this issue.
Established in 1841, Lowell Cemetery served as a de facto park for the city before any were built. Its rural setting, close to the manufacturing hub, became popular for citizens seeking leisure activities like walking, picnicking, and bird watching. Michael Baird, a dedicated "birder," and volunteer for the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, continues this tradition at Lowell Cemetery. His article offers tips for readers about what resident and migratory birds to look for in the spring.
This spring will also offer several opportunities to learn about some of the City’s most interesting individuals whose remains rest in Lowell Cemetery. Please save-the-dates and plan to join other friends of the Cemetery for upcoming tours and lecture.
Alex Wilson, President
Lowell Cemetery Board of Trustees
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Preparing for Spring: Behind the Scenes at Lowell Cemetery
An Interview with Patrick Agonis
| | Patrick Agonis, Grounds Supervisor | |
“Managing a Small Forest”
Patrick Agonis is the Grounds Supervisor for the Lowell Cemetery. He started to work here in 2016 at the suggestion of his mother-in-law, Julie Danforth, the Lowell Cemetery’s Master Gardener from 2004 to 2022. On a cold March day, I interrupted Patrick’s busy schedule to ask him what it’s like to prep the Cemetery’s 50 gardens for spring. At the time of this writing, the snowdrops are out near the office, but the fabulous tulips and daffodils had yet to appear.
-Rosemary Noon, Trustee
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Rose Garden with Rogers Mausoleum,
June 2022
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I’m guessing at this time of year you have to handle multiple projects at the same time.
I get to work at 6:45 a.m. and drive around the property checking on what needs attention that day. It’s like managing a small forest. I check with Seth Durno (Lowell Cemetery Superintendent) and plan the day’s work. Maybe it’s not such a small forest after all—it’s 54 acres.
Since Julie (Danforth) left, I’m responsible for gardening supervision, staying on top of watering, weeding, seeding, edging, pruning of roses, watering, laying out wood chips, and keeping up with the design of each of the gardens.
Are you responsible for the tree collection?
We plant four to five shade trees every year. The Silver Maples and October Maples are a priority. Their leaves that turn from yellow to orange to red. They complement the yellow to orange colors of the many Sugar Maple leaves in the fall.
We call Burbank Tree Surgeons when certain trees are struggling. This happened recently with some beech trees. Organic material was pumped in to help the trees combat disease and assist with longevity. We recently lost two big oak trees near the cannons at the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic, Civil War grave area) lot. Trees can become weak over time or fall due to wind and weather.
To read the full interview, click here.
| | | Birding in the Lowell Cemetery | |
By Mike Baird
Bird watching (or birding) is a hobby enjoyed by millions of people, and one of the best birding spots in the Greater Lowell area is the Lowell Cemetery. My name is Mike Baird. I've been birding for over 30 years and birding in the Lowell Cemetery for well over 20 years. I "discovered" the cemetery when my daughter was young because it was a nice, quiet place to walk with a stroller. On one of these walks, I noticed all the birds!
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The Lowell Cemetery is a garden cemetery, a style that embraces the contours of the land with a wide variety of flowers, shrubs, and trees. It offers an abundance of habitats that can be utilized by resident birds (birds that live in the area year-round, like Black-capped Chickadees), birds that breed in the cemetery (like Baltimore Orioles), and those passing through on their north (spring) and south (fall) migration routes.
You can find birds at any time of year in the Lowell Cemetery, but spring is when birding can get truly exciting from early April, when birds like Eastern Phoebes and early warblers like Palm and Pine start to arrive, to the end of May, when the last northbound migrants, like many of the flycatchers, make their way to the cemetery.
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In spring, the early bird truly gets the worm, so plan to arrive when the gates open at 7:30 a.m. on a sunny spring morning. I like to start by the Lawrence St. gate and walk up Woodbine Path and along Washington Ave., watching and listening for migrants in the oaks and maples. The Flowering Dogwoods and Magnolias along this path and around the O. M. Whipple Columbarium can also be productive for warblers, vireos, and orioles. From the Columbarium area, I continue along Wilder Ave, then Shedd Ave., toward the Knapp Ave. gate, stopping often to scan the trees. Warblers, vireos, woodpeckers, thrushes, and other birds can be found in this area. This part of the cemetery is on a hill and tends to warm up quickly, meaning the birds' preferred insects will be active. This is the best place to check when you first arrive.
As the morning progresses and gets warmer, the birds can be anywhere, so I tend to wander wherever the bird song is loudest from this point.
| | Bring your binoculars and favorite bird guide (most are available as apps on your smartphone) and wear comfortable shoes, and you'll be ready to find some great birds in the Lowell Cemetery! | |
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The Lives & Graves of Lowell Mill Girls
“The Lives and Graves of Lowell Mill Girls Barilla Adeline Taylor and Louisa Maria Wells,” a presentation by Bridget Marshall, UMass Lowell Professor of English, will be held on Sunday, April 6, 2 p.m., at the Talbot Chapel. This program is offered in collaboration with the Lowell Historical Society. Admission is free but seating is limited.
*Registration for this event is full. To add your name to the wait list, click here*
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Veterans Tour
To honor those who served in America’s armed services throughout the country’s history, the Lowell Cemetery will host a guided tour of selected graves and monuments on Sunday, May 18.
Led by historian and Cemetery Trustee Richard Howe, Jr., the 90-minute tour will start at 10 a.m. at the Lawrence St. entrance.
*No Registration needed*
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Photo captured by Kevin Harkins | |
Spring Tours
The Lowell Cemetery Spring Tour Weekend is Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8 at 10 a.m. Lowell Cemetery Trustee and Registrar of Deeds Richard Howe, Jr., will lead walking tours focused on stories of history, monuments, and the lives of those buried here. Both tours will begin at the Lawrence St. entrance.
*No Registration needed*
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Volunteer With Us!
Every volunteer makes a powerful impact. Join us and be part of something truly meaningful. There are many opportunities to participate. There are no requirements or time commitments.
The Cemetery will notify you of an opportunity based on your interest, and you can decide whether or not you’ve got the time to participate. Click here to read more.
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Address:
77 Knapp Avenue
Lowell, MA 01852
Phone:
978-454-5191
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