The Medford Historical Commission has begun work on an important preservation effort focused on the historic Cross Street Cemetery stones, now located within Oak Grove Cemetery. This project represents another step in the Commission’s ongoing mission to document, preserve, and interpret Medford’s historic landscapes and the stories they contain.
View from the site of City Hall looking east toward Cross Street showing the Cross Street Cemetery.
Cross Street Cemetery was originally established in the early nineteenth century along Cross Street, not far from what is now Interstate 93. The burial ground served Medford families for many decades, with burials taking place through the nineteenth and into the early twentieth centuries. In the 1950s, the construction of the new interstate highway dramatically reshaped the surrounding area. As part of that project, the cemetery was removed, and the gravestones were relocated in 1958 to their present location within Oak Grove Cemetery. Today, the stones stand together within a distinctive enclosed section, marking the memory of a burial ground that once lay elsewhere in the city.
Over time, many of the monuments have experienced the natural effects of age and weather. Lichen growth, stone erosion, and shifting bases have affected a number of the gravestones. While these changes are typical for historic burial grounds, they also highlight the importance of careful preservation work to ensure the monuments remain stable and legible for future generations.
Cross Street Cemetery in 2024, showing a large number of monuments that have toppled. Their condition and importance to the community prompted the Commission and Cemetery Trustees to begin conservation efforts.
To better understand the condition of the site, the Historical Commission recently commissioned a professional assessment of the stones. The study evaluates the condition of each monument, identifies issues such as instability or deterioration, and recommends appropriate conservation treatments. The results will help guide a future preservation project that may include gentle cleaning, resetting unstable markers, and stabilizing damaged stones.
This work represents an important planning step as the Commission prepares to pursue additional funding to support the conservation effort. As with many historic preservation projects in Medford, the Community Preservation Act may provide an important pathway for funding future restoration work.
Beyond preserving the stones themselves, the project also highlights the broader historical story of Cross Street Cemetery and the many Medford residents whose lives are commemorated there. Burial grounds are among the most important historical resources in any community, offering a direct connection to earlier generations and the evolving landscape of the city.
The Commission looks forward to sharing updates as this preservation effort continues. By documenting and protecting the monuments at Cross Street Cemetery, we can ensure that this piece of Medford’s history remains visible and accessible for years to come.
2026 Conservation Efforts: Phase II – 85 Stones, Fieldstone Wall and Gate Restoration
This year, the Medford Historical Commission will focus its efforts on completing the restoration of Cross Street Cemetery. Thanks to generous funding from the Medford Community Preservation Committee, the Commission will be able to hire a professional stone conservator to treat and stabilize the remaining 85 monuments that require restoration. We are also hoping to have volunteers clean the many stones that require a light touch to remove biological growth, dirt, and grime.
In addition, a mason will be engaged to clean and repair the historic fieldstone wall that defines the cemetery’s boundary, restore the surviving iron gate, and replicate the missing gate so that the entrance once again reflects the site’s historic appearance.
Preserving this small burial ground is more than a matter of maintaining stones and walls; it is an act of stewardship for the generations who built and governed the early town. These are our civic ancestors. The men, women, and families buried here were among Medford’s earliest residents, and safeguarding their resting place ensures that their lives and contributions remain visible in the civic landscape. The Commission will share updates throughout the year as this important work progresses.
2025 Monument Conservation- Phase I Pilot Program – 15 Veteran Stones
The Medford Historical Commission has hired a professional conservator to restore fifteen veterans’ monuments at Cross Street Cemetery. These gravestones are being prioritized because they commemorate individuals who served the nation and reflect the community’s commitment to honoring that service. The markers also represent the range of stone types and conditions found throughout the cemetery, providing an important sample for how the broader restoration will be carried out. Restoring them first is both a practical step and an important act of remembrance. By stabilizing these monuments early in the project, the city ensures that the names and sacrifices of these veterans remain visible and legible for future generations while helping safeguard an important part of Medford’s local and national history.
This work was generously funded by grants from Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area and matched by funding from the Community Preservation Committee and the Medford Historical Commission.
2024 Cross Street Cemetery Monument Conservation Report
The 2024 Gravestone and Monument Condition Assessment provides the first comprehensive documentation of the current condition of the Cross Street Cemetery stones. It identifies more than 100 gravestones and monuments that require conservation and outlines the specific treatments needed to stabilize and repair them. The report also explains the unusual way the stones were reset in concrete when the cemetery was relocated in 1958, which affects how conservation must be performed today. By mapping, documenting, and prioritizing repairs, the study provides a clear roadmap for future preservation work. It also includes professional conservation standards and cost estimates that will guide funding requests and restoration planning. Together, this report forms the foundation for protecting these historic markers for the long term.
This work was generously funded by grants from Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area and matched by funding from the Community Preservation Committee and the Medford Historical Commission.
Useful Guides and Reports
The Medford Historical Commission began documenting Cross Street Cemetery in 2023 by gathering and transcribing existing local records. The interments and epitaphs were first recorded by the Town of Medford in the late nineteenth century. A more concise, genealogically focused inventory was later compiled by Wade S. Hervey in 1936 as part of a Works Progress Administration effort to catalog the information preserved on the monuments. Hervey’s work proved invaluable in documenting the cemetery’s condition prior to the relocation of the stones. After the restoration and re-dedication in 1958, a brief list of surviving markers was created as a finding aid.
The Commission has now transcribed and consolidated these materials into a single master finding aid, with the hope that it will assist researchers and families seeking to locate the final resting places of their ancestors.
Medford Historical Commission 