Washington Tower in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, contributed by Cody Vasquez (2025)
Situated atop a hill, guarded by a thickly manicured and curated forest, is a towering memorial. Erected in 1854, the Washington Tower lies central to the sprawling Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The tower, as is inscribed on the placard just at its base, “reminds new generations to honor all who helped secure our nation through ideas, enterprise, or sacrifice.” Beyond the direct appeal to memorializing Washington and other founding fathers, the edifice offers a unique vantage point for overseeing the region's geography from the dense forest to the west to the Boston skyline and Atlantic Ocean to the east. While the tower itself is a towering and profound offering as a memorial, the view that is offered after climbing a few flights of winding stairs is remarkable. As a direct reflection of the cemetery’s motif, the tower stands both as a memorial and also as a tranquil respite welcoming mourners and inviting visitors to use its view to gain perspective and reflect. I visited the tower just as the sun rose one misty fall morning. As I traversed the stairs up the tower, I seemed to follow an incessant winding ascent, tracing the circulatory of my thought. After I arrived at the top, the unassuming structure invited me to reflect on my place in the vast and endless world that surrounded me. I look forward to returning to this place in times of trouble, comforted by the perspective it offers.
