Forest Dale Cemetery

In the fall of 2005, Shadley Associates worked with the City of Malden, MA Cemeteries Board of Trustees and the Superintendent of Cemeteries to develop a feasibility study for burial expansion in this historic cemetery. Recently reopened after being closed to new burials for eleven years, this is the only active cemetery in Malden and is approaching capacity. The study resulted in three possible expansion opportunities: remove roads and walkways in the older section to convert this land to burials, expand the western section towards an existing wetland, and create a columbarium garden to respond to the increasing requests for cremain niches. The feasibility study accounted for burial demand, rate, and expansion permitting requirements, landscaping, and historic resources. The columbarium garden would use the existing stone façade of an unused stone mausoleum. Shadley Associates led the consultant team of surveyors, engineers and architects in the preliminary design of these expansion areas, and in the spring of 2006 prepared and made a presentation to the Malden City Council for approval of this work.