My Favorite Colonial Burying Grounds
- Caroline Bigelow
- Nov 26
- 2 min read
New England has some of the oldest established burying grounds in the United States. All of them are unique and have their own certain charm, and my favorites change all the time. I've never been in one that didn't like!
Ye Old Burying Ground -- Lexington, MA
Lexington’s oldest burial ground was established in 1690. It saw regular use through the 1800s, and even has some interments in the 20th century. Many Revolutionary War soldiers and their families are buried here, including a British soldier wounded during the fighting on April 19th, 1775 who died a few days later at Buckman Tavern and a cenotaph for Captain John Parker.
Old Burial Hill -- Plymouth, MA
This is one of the oldest burying grounds in New England, and the final resting place of many of the original Pilgrims and their descendants.
Old Hill Burying Ground -- Newburyport, MA
Established in 1729, this is an absolutely beautiful burying ground with a spectacular view, if you can make it to the top of the hill. There are gravestones from many New England carvers there, including Mullicken, Lamson, and Park. There’s even a supposedly haunted hill tomb.
Forefather's Burial Ground -- Chelmsford, MA
The town of Chelmsford was incorporated in 1655, and this graveyard was established at around that same time. A large majority of the gravestones there are from the late 1600s through the mid-1800s and carvers include the Lamsons, Worcesters, Parks, and Dwights.
Old Burial Hill -- Marblehead, MA
This burying ground was established in 1638, and the first burials likely took place around that time. The oldest still visible stone is from 1681. The most recent burial was in 2009. Old Burial Hill is only a very short drive from Salem (Marblehead was part of Salem until 1649), and is one of the most famous of our New England burial grounds. Filming for both “Hocus Pocus” and “The Good Son” took place here.
Old Burying Ground -- Groton, MA
It was established along with the resettlement of the town in 1678. It was in constant use until the late 1840s, with the last burial in 1932. Groton was the home of the Park family of carvers, so a majority of the gravestones here were carved by them. Several generations of Parks makes for a wonderful variety of styles!
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