Boston’s Granary Burying Ground Holds Many Historical Treasures

I tend to leave the stories about cemeteries and the afterlife to my buddy Tim Weisberg, but as a history buff, I wanted to share with you what I've learned about Boston's Granary Burying Ground. It's a mighty cool place for lovers of American history and those who dig dead things.

I don't think Tim will mind.

I visited the Granary Burying Ground for the first time as a senior at New Bedford High School in 1976. It was part of a history class field trip.

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The Granary Burying Ground is a Boston National Historical Park in the care of the City of Boston and a stop on the famed Freedom Trail. The cemetery is on Tremont Street, near Boston Common, the historic Beacon Hill neighborhood, and the Massachusetts State House.

In fact, at one time, it was part of Boston Common.

The remains of some of America's most notable citizens are buried at the Granary Burying Ground, including Paul Revere, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, James Otis, the victims of the Boston Massacre, and the parents of Benjamin Franklin.

The website for the Freedom Trail says the cemetery was "named for the 12,000-bushel grain storage building that was once next door."

The historic burying ground has approximately 2,300 markers, though some historians believe up to 5,000 people are buried there.

First named South Burying Ground in 1660 when it opened, it became the Granary Burying Ground in 1737. It is the third-oldest cemetery in Boston.

Visitors to the Granary Burying Ground, open year-round, can take free guided and unguided tours. Maps are available for those who'd prefer to find their own way around.