Historic Buildings

In 1901, the cemetery received notice of the will of Nancy Cordwell Blake, who passed away on January 10. Her will directed that a chapel be built in memory of her son, George Harrison Blake, to be named The Blake Memorial Chapel, with a portrait of George permanently displayed inside.

The Board of Trustees chose the Late Gothic Revival style as the most fitting design and commissioned Boston architect Ernest Machado to create the plans. Construction was completed in 1904, and the chapel was dedicated in 1905. It remains one of only two Gothic Revival chapels in Salem, the other located at Greenlawn Cemetery.

Built of Cape Ann granite, the chapel features stepped wall buttresses, pointed Tudor-arch door and window openings. The building measures 64 feet long by 34 feet wide, with a 65-foot-high off-center bell tower crowned by a weathervane reminiscent of old English missions. The tower bell, cast in 1862 by Henry N. Hooper & Co. of Boston, remains a distinctive feature.

Visitors enter through the massive arched doorway at the base of the tower. Inside, the organ loft overlooks the main entrance, while the vaulted and recessed sanctuary is at the opposite end. The interior features Flemish oak, including the pews, and can accommodate up to 175 people.

Charles Jay Connick of Boston designed the chapel’s stunning stained-glass windows. Preserving the spirit of European stained glass from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, these windows were given in memory of many prominent citizens of Salem and the North Shore and dedicated in 1925.

To the east of the chapel lies the administrative complex, connected by a covered stone-columned cloister with a wooden roof. Constructed in the same Gothic Revival style and materials as the chapel, this building houses the main office, a private office, and a brick-and-steel records vault. In the basement is another brick vault for storage. The windows are Gothic and diamond-paned but of clear glass.

Cremation has been central to Harmony Grove Cemetery’s history for over a century. In 1917, the fourth crematory in Massachusetts was installed in the chapel basement, equipped with two retorts and an adjoining columbarium. The first cremation took place on July 5, 1917, marking the beginning of a service that has continued uninterrupted ever since. This original crematory remained in operation until 1989.

To meet changing needs, a new crematory was built behind the chapel in 1990 and expanded in 2013 to provide additional storage and space.

Between 2022 and 2023, the crematory underwent a major renovation with the installation of three new retorts, ensuring that Harmony Grove continues to offer dignified, efficient, and state-of-the-art cremation services while honoring its historic roots.

In 1840, a four-room cottage, originally referred to as the Superintendent's House, now called the Caretaker's Cottage, was constructed near the Cemetery’s entrance for the purpose of housing the groundskeeper. The 1 ½-story cottage was built in the Gothic Revival style and included “gingerbread” trim on the gable ends of the roof, and diamond-pane windows with ornamental trim above them. In 1862, a small addition was added to the cottage, with a root cellar below. In 1896, the cottage was substantially enlarged by cemetery workers, increasing its size three times to that of the original cottage. By 2013, some serious structural issues with the 1896 addition were observed, and the Board of Trustees felt that it would be best to remove all but the original four-room structure and rebuild.

In the fall of 2013, Architect Richard Griffin was hired to design a new 1 ½ story addition to the original cottage, and construction began in the spring of 2014. The original cottage was gutted to the studs, and all plumbing and wiring replaced. The entire house was insulated, and new energy-efficient systems were installed. All the original windows were replaced with double-glazed windows in the same style. Missing or damaged gingerbread was perfectly recreated in resin by restoration experts Skylight Studios in Woburn. The original siding was repaired and duplicated on the new addition, which contains a large kitchen and driveway-side entry on the first floor, and a master bedroom and full bath on the second floor.

The beautifully restored cottage is a wonderful example of Gothic Revival architecture. It not only serves as a source of rental income for the Cemetery, but is also a lovely and unique feature that greets all visitors of Harmony Grove.

Barn

The historic barn, located to the north of the caretaker’s house, was originally built in 1892 and restored in 2007.  Built on a granite foundation, the structure is two stories high, with barn doors in each gable end and a sloped approach to the front door.  The barn and the associated parking area are currently leased to a landscape maintenance business for storage of materials and equipment.

Greenhouses

As demand for flowers grew and the cost of purchasing them elsewhere increased, the cemetery decided to build its own greenhouse. The first greenhouse, completed in 1871, was stocked with plants for the coming season. This allowed the cemetery to reduce expenses while providing a steady supply of shrubs and flowers for the many ornamental beds throughout the grounds.

The convenience soon extended to lot owners, who could order plants and floral decorations for their lots, whether for the season or special occasions, by mail or telephone.

Due to overwhelming demand, a second greenhouse was added in the spring of 1874, and just a few years later, a third greenhouse followed in 1878. The beauty and quality of the plants quickly became well known, with cemetery records noting that over 100,000 plants were used in ornamental displays during a single season.

By 1899, the three greenhouses, known respectively as the Camellia House, Fern House, and Lily House, underwent major renovations. The Camellia House received new sills and posts, the Fern House a rebuilt end, and the Lily House new piping.

Unfortunately, by 1959, rising maintenance costs and deteriorating conditions made it impossible to sustain the greenhouses. After nearly 90 years of service, all three structures were removed, marking the end of a distinctive era in the cemetery’s history.