West Cemetery
Preservation Plan and Gateway Design

Amherst, Massachusetts
2000

West Cemetery began as a Colonial period burying ground, “improved” in later years by walkways, plantings and fencing. Today, its four acres of unique unaltered topography are surrounded by commercial developments and stressed by a combination of low main-tenance and high level of foot traffic. Many visitors are attracted to poet Emily Dickinson’s gravesite here, as well as to the still intimate historic character of the place. DDA and its consulting conservators prepared a preservation and management plan for the Cemetery. This Plan was approved by the Town of Amherst and followed up by DDA’s design of high priority areas: entrances and perimeter. Gaylord Gateway is the first such project completed, soon to be followed by an improved entryway off North Pleasant, fencing and plantings.