Board of Park Commissioners, City of Fall River Fall River, MA

Oak Grove Cemetery Master Plan

BSC developed a comprehensive master plan to restore the long-term viability of Oak Grove Cemetery, the City of Fall River’s only active nonsectarian cemetery and a National Register-listed historic landscape. Having reached burial capacity, the cemetery required innovative strategies to expand interment opportunities while preserving its historic character and cultural significance.

The master plan balanced operational needs, demographic trends, climate resilience, and historic preservation by introducing new burial and memorialization options, repurposing underutilized areas, and implementing an arboretum plan to restore the cemetery’s historic landscape. Designed as a phased, long-term strategy, the plan provides centuries of future memorial capacity while minimizing disruption to ongoing operations.

The first phase, completed in 2023, introduced distinctive cremation niche gardens and commemorative monuments celebrating the community’s history and public service.