Stranger’s Tomb Erected

December 6, 2011

When it opened in 1829, the Tremont House was unique in the nation.  It was a hotel of many firsts, including the first to offer indoor plumbing. Wanting to be innovative in yet another way, they decided to erect a tomb at Mount Auburn for out-of-town guests who died while staying there.  At that time, transporting remains was difficult and not commonly done. The hotel purchased a private lot (Lot 324) in 1833 on Hawthorne Path and erected a pentagonal tomb of Quincy granite.  The six-foot-tall structure had 36 horizontal cells to be sealed with marble tablets bearing the names and dates of the deceased. With only a few interments, the tomb was eventually taken down and the remains were interred in the lot below.

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