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Here
Lies
An Important Part
Of Americas Past
Bostons Historic Burying Grounds
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It may seem un-
likely, but history
comes alive in
Boston's burying
grounds. After our
earliest citizens
settled the colonies,
preached from our
first pulpits, fomented the Revolution and gave life to
American art, education and government, many came
here to their final rest.
Boston has 16 historic cemeteries throughout the
city which date from 1630 to 1841. Those introduced
here are open daily and three-King's Chapel, Granary
and Copp's Hill-are located along the FreedomTrail.
These grounds are sacred and fragile. Please observe
the following rules:
• Absolutely nogravestonerubbingallowed,
pleasetakephotosinstead.
• Do notsitorlean on thestones.
• Usetrash barrelsfor litter.
• No dogsallowed.
• Possession ordrinkingofalcoholic
beveragesprohibited.
Please Note
Ifyou're looking for a particular grave, please ask for
the location maps in the church nearest the cemetery.
Further burying ground information may be obtained
from the Bostonian Society Library at 15 State Street.
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Read Any Good Gravestones Lately? toration In Progress
Ifyou have, thank the Charlestown Carver, the 350 years is a long time andweather, vandals, deferred
Lamsons, "JN," "WC," and others who made grave- maintenance and even well-intended restoration
stone carving part of their life's work. efforts took their toll on Boston's historic cemeteries.
The oldest gravestones are simply carved field- In 1985, the Historic Burying Grounds Initiative
stones and were often only inscribed with initials and was established to reverse the deterioration in all
dates by a family member or friend. Next, grey, red 16 cemeteries.
and green slate dominated More than $2.5 million has been committed
the fashion in to the initiative by the administration of Boston
grave markers and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn and by other contributors.
featured iconog- Another $4 million is needed to complete the effort.
raphy, or symbol To date, retainingwalls have been rebuilt and
language, that hundreds of gravestones have been reset and repaired.
was quite Structures have been restored and security and main-
"readable." tenance increased.
Throughout Still, much remains to be done. Ifyou'd like to
the 17th and help, please call the Planning and Development
18th centuries, Office at the Boston Parks and Recreation Depart-
winged skull ment. We need your support!
motifs symbol-
ized man's mortality while angels suggested resurrec-
tion. Urn andwillow carvings became popular after
theAmerican Revolution when tastes in the new
republic ran to classical themes.
Headstones in early graveyards often faced east
and were paired with footstones creating a bed-like
arrangement for eternal rest.
'"
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Rebuilding Boston:
CapitalImprovementsFrom
Burying Grounds ToPlaygrounds
The Historic Burying Grounds Initiative, the program
to restore inactive cemeteries, is just one part ofan
overall effort by the Boston Parks and Recreation
Department to restore Boston's park system. More
than $120 million will be invested in improvements in
every neighborhood ofthe city.
Now thatyou've had a look at some ofBoston's
historic cemeteries, we hope you'll visit our parks. We
think you'll find them greener, cleaner and more
alive than ever.
Photo Credits: Work byGilbertStuartandPaulRevere
courtesyoftheMuseum ofFineArts, Boston. King'sChapel
engravingandphotocourtesyofBostonianSociety.
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Km<;s Cm Among others, Copp's Hill Burying Ground honors The less famous are remembered here as well.
over 1,000 Colonial black Americans who dwelled in Here lies youngWoodbridge, stabbed in a duel on
Tremont Street north ofSchool Street
the "New Guinea" community located nearby in Boston Common in 1728. (His opponent is said to
Established 1630
Boston's North End. In addition, Prince Hall, an have died later of griefand heartbreak.) Here lies
King's Chapel was established as Boston's first town early anti-slavery activist, RevolutionaryWar soldier Judge Samuel Sewall, the only judge ever to admit
graveyard and lakes its name from the adjoining and founder of the Negro Freemasonry Order is publicly that he was wrong about the Salem Witches,
church, built at a later date. buried in Copp's Hill. and Ezekial Cheever, for 70 years a teacher.
Things to consider at
Granary Burying Ground:
I Now a prospering commercial area, Granary's first
neighbors were a town granary where stores were
kept for the poor, an almshouse for the sick and
aged, and a bridewell - a jail.
I John Hancock's devoted servant Frank lies buried
at his side noted only by his first name.
I The Franklin monument honors Ben's family, he
himself is buried in Philadelphia.
Central Birying Groii
Boston Common (Boylston Street)
King'sChapelBuryingGroundcirca 1895- Established1756
IsaacJohnson, an early, prominent Boston During the Revolution, Copp's Hill attained Unlike some ofour historic burying grounds, Central
settler, owned the land. He was interred in the fall military significance. British generals directed the retains what is believed to be the original, east-west
of 1630 in a corner of his garden plot, as was his shelling ofBunker Hill from its southwest side and configuration of headstones (and footstones.) In
request. By the year's end, there were many graves British soldiers used the gravestones as convenient Puritan and Colonial times, this layout was favored
prompting one observer to write "BrotherJohnson's targets for practice. to allow the grave's occupant to face the trumpet's
garden is getting to be a poor place for vegetables." call on the Day ofJudgment.
No stone marksJohnson's grave. Things to consider at In 1895, subway excavations led to the dis-
Burials continued at King's Chapel until 1796, Copp's Hill Burying Ground: covery of the cemetery's original southern boundary-
despite a gravedigger's 1739 complaint that King's I Bullet holes can still be seen in gravestones like about 1,100 bodieswere discovered under Boylston
Chapel and two other cemeteries "were so fulled with merchant Capt. Malcolm's whose epitaph incensed Street and were reinterred in a common grave in the
dead bodies that they were obliged oft times to bury British soldiers with these words: northwest corner.
them four deep." a trueson ofLiberty
The present King's Chapel grounds reflect afriendto thePublick
numerous changes to the original site beginning as an enemy to oppression
early as the 17th century with the encroachment of andone oftheforemost
the church. The last major gravestone alignment was in opposing theRevenueActs
in the 1930s. onAmerica
I According to legend, in two instances, tombs were
Things to consider at
"stolen" here. The rightful owners' remains were
King's Chapel Burying Ground:
ejected and expropriators carved over their own
I Preservation began early. In 1810 the tomb of names for future burial within.
Capt. William Davis (d. 1675) was rebuilt by his
great-grandson.
I Grave markers were first realigned about 1850 in-
spiring OliverWendall Holmes' ire: ...the upright
stones have been shuffled about like chessmen and
nothing short of the Day ofJudgment will tell
whose dust lies beneath...Shame! Shame! Shame!"
I Many tomb markers along the front fence bear
beautiful family crests, the corresponding vaults
are actually below the sidewalk.
Copps Hiu Ri umm; Groind
Hull Street between Salem & Snowhill Streets PaidRevere, buriedin Granary, wasasilversmith bytrade. GilbertStuart, whopaintedthisportraitofGeorge Washington
ThislovelypiecebelongstotheMuseum ofFineArts, Boston. atDorclKslerHeights, isburiedin CentralBuryingGround.
Established 1659
This burying ground holds the remains ofsome of
Things to consider at
our greatest heroes and patriots: Paul Revere,John
Central Burying Ground:
Hancock, Robert Treat Paine,James Otis and Samuel
Adams. When the victims of the Boston Massacre were I Legend holds that American and British soldiers
laid to rest here, 3,000 colonists came to honor (the former were victims of Bunker Hill, the latter
them. Now, every summer day brings another 3,000 of disease incurred during the Siege of Boston) lie
buried side by side in an unmarked grave.
visitors to Granary.
I The inscriptions which mention "strangers" refer
to Irish Catholic immigrants buried here.
I Ofthe 487 grave markers here, the earliest reads
f/a^SrS*5*£z**w 1749, predating the cemetery's founding.
I A man known as our first composer, William
dtfTfatffohtes
Billings, notedAmerican artist Gilbert Stuart, and
at least a dozen Boston Tea Party members are all
Puritan ministerCotton Matherisentombedin Copp\Hilt GranaryhonorsthreesignersoftheDeclaration
Burying Ground. ofIndependence buried in Central.
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OrVOFBOSIONCBmEBES...
Bennington Street, 1838—EastBoston
BunkerHill, 1807—Charlestown
Central, 1756—BostonCommon
Copp'sHill, 1659-North End
DorchesterNorth, 1634—Upham'sCorner
DorchesterSouth, 1814—LowerMills
Eliot (EustisStreet), 1630—Roxbury
Evergreen Cemetery, 1848—Brighton
FairviewCemetery, 1892—HydePark
King's Chapel, 1630—Downtown
Granary, 1660—Downtown
Hawes/Union, 1816/41—South Boston
Market Street, 1764—Brighton
Mount Hope Cemetery, 1851—Roslindale
Phipp'sStreet, 1630—Charlestown
South End, 1810—Washington Street
WalterStreet, 1711—Roslindale
Westerly, 1683—WestRoxbury
CIT\'OFBOSTON
RaymondL. Flynn, Mayor
D, OSt.On parKI S LPAaRwKSr&enRcECeREAA.TIDOwNyDeErPA,RTMENT
and recreation commissioner
For further informationcontact:
Historic Burying Grounds Initiative
Boston Parksand Recreation Department
1010 MassachusettsAvenue
Boston, MA02118
(617) 725-4505
FrontCover:An 1833engravingofKing'sChapel
BuryingGround.
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