RDLA led a multidisciplinary team of landscape architects, a stone conservator, and an arborist to develop a comprehensive preservation plan for the Old Burying Ground and Common Street Cemetery. Historical research and detailed field assessments documented the evolution of these significant cultural landscapes and identified conditions affecting their historic resources, including deteriorated walls, fragile burial artifacts, poor soil conditions, hazardous trees, invasive vegetation, and accessibility and safety concerns.

Tree preservation and management were central to the planning effort, recognizing the mature canopy as both a defining feature of the historic landscape and a potential risk to monuments and other sensitive resources. The preservation plan establishes prioritized recommendations and cost estimates for stabilization, restoration, accessibility, vegetation management, and ongoing maintenance. A long-term management guide provides the City with a practical framework for proactive tree and landscape care, helping protect the cemeteries’ historic character and cultural resources for future generations.