Hope Abbey Mausoleum

 

Hope Abbey Mausoleum (all photos by me)

A recent walk with my friend J.F. Alberson, principal of TBG Architects + Planners, prompted this exploration of the Hope Abbey Mausoleum. With the Eugene Masonic Cemetery as the chosen destination for our weekly stroll, we set out from my home, meandering through south Eugene to the cemetery at 26th & University. Upon arriving, we were fortunate to meet Sara Besch, the cemetery’s business manager, who graciously opened the mausoleum for us to explore its interior. It was my first time stepping inside Hope Abbey. Sara’s insights into its history and the challenges it has faced—ranging from vandalism to unsanctioned fraternity parties on the roof—brought the building’s story to life. Our visit inspired a deeper appreciation for this architectural gem and its enduring legacy.
 
I’ve previously featured landmark buildings in Eugene as part of a series titled Eugene/Architecture/Alphabet. Hope Abbey was a strong contender for the “H” entry, given its architectural and historical significance. However, I chose the Hult Center for the Performing Arts for that slot, so this post stands alone as a reflection on a structure no less deserving of recognition.
 
The word “mausoleum” derives from King Mausolus of Halicarnassus, whose grand tomb, built in 353 BC, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. By the late 19th century, Americans embraced mausoleums, driven by a fascination with antiquity and a desire for dignified, above-ground burials. In 1912, the Portland Mausoleum Company persuaded Eugene Masonic Lodge #11 to commission a modern 250-crypt mausoleum for $40,000—a substantial sum at the time. Workers earning thirty-five cents an hour completed the building in less than a year.(1)
 
Ellis F. Lawrence, who would later be the founding dean of the University of Oregon’s School of Architecture and Allied Arts, designed Hope Abbey in the rare (for Oregon) Egyptian Revival style. Its massive entrance—adorned with papyrus bundles, lotus blossom urns, and symbols like the sun disc, twin cobras, and vulture wings—evokes death, protection, and eternity. Constructed with reinforced concrete, bronze doors, marble, terrazzo, and eighty golden glass clerestory windows, the mausoleum stood apart from the Classical designs prevalent at the time. Dr. H.S. Wilkinson led its dedication ceremony on June 4, 1914, during which a time capsule—containing newspapers, photographs, and documents, not to be opened until 2914—was sealed. The building earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

 
Beyond its architectural splendor, Hope Abbey mirrored broader shifts in American attitudes toward death and memorialization. During the Progressive Era (1890–1920), mausoleums emerged as modern alternatives to traditional graves, aligning with an embrace of science, technology, and monumental architecture. Their popularity, evident in Hope Abbey’s rapid crypt sales and families reinterring relatives, signaled the shift toward more permanent and elevated interment options. However, by the 1930s, economic hardship and evolving preferences for cremation and simpler graves led to neglect. Hope Abbey’s inadequate endowment, coupled with the Portland Mausoleum Company’s 1929 bankruptcy, left the Masons with scant resources. By the 1960s, the building suffered from a leaking roof, vandalism, and bricked-up windows. Its restoration reflects a contemporary trend: preserving such structures not merely as burial sites, but as vital links to our cultural past.

 
The Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association, a nonprofit, assumed ownership of the cemetery and Hope Abbey in 1994. Through fundraising, grants, donations, and volunteers, they launched a comprehensive restoration: replacing the roof, installing drainage, removing lead-based paint, repainting, landscaping, and replicating the original golden clerestory windows. The $150,000-$200,000 restoration (roughly $250,000-$300,000 in 2025 dollars) transformed the building. Today, it operates again, offering crypts, niches, and window memorials.
 
Hope Abbey’s Egyptian Revival design and connection to Ellis Lawrence underscore its architectural significance. Thanks to Sara Besch’s hospitality and the Association’s efforts, J.F. and I glimpsed a piece of Eugene’s architectural and civic heritage—one that perseveres through the commitment of its community.
 
For more information about Hope Abbey, contact the Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association at (541) 684-0949.
 
(1)  Much of the information in this post is courtesy of the Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association, whose dedication to preserving Hope Abbey ensures its story endures.