Nomination for Dorchester North Burying Ground

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form 10-300 (Rev.

6-72) PH0026654 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE -HBNo ut NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM STATE: Massachusetts COUNTY: Suffolk FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY DATE (Type all entries - complete applicable sections) APR 1 8 1974 NAME COMMON: Dorchester North Burying Ground (use for publication) AND/ OR HISTORIC: A) First Burying Ground inDorchester LOCATION STREET AND NUMBER: Stoughton Street and Columbia Road CITY OR TOWN: Boston (Dorchester) STATE Massachusetts 18119 RECEiVED APR 8 1974 NATIONAL CONGRESSIONAL DIETRKEGISTER CODE couNTgth 025 Suffolk CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY OWNERSHIP (Check One) District Site Building Structure Object Public Private Both Public Acquisition: In Process Being Considered LX CODE 025 ACCESSIBLE STATUS TO THE PUBLIC Occupied Yes: Restricted Unoccupied -] Unrestricted Preservation work in progress No PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Agricultural Government Commercial Industrial Educational Military Entertainment Museum Park Private Residence Religious Scientific - Transportation Other *cemetery (Specify) Comments OWNER OF PROPERTY OWNER'S NAME: City of Boston-Department of Parks and Recreation STREET AND NÜMBER: City Hall CITY OR TOWN: STATE: Boston LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: Registry of Deeds STREET AND NUMBER: Suffolk County Courthouse CITY OR TOWN: STATE Boston CODE Massachusetts 025 Massachusetts Suf,folk Massachusetts CODE 025 REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE OF SURVEY: Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts DATE OF SURVEY: - Federal [x State - County DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: Massachusetts Historical Commission (617) 727-8470 STREET AND NUMBER: 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE: Massachusetts CODE APR 18 1974 025 STATE.

COUNTY: ENTRY NUMBER DATE FOR NPS USE ONLY DESCRIPTION (Check One) Deteriorated Excellent - Good [X Fair Ruins CONDITION (Check One) - Altered *Unaltered - Moved - Unexposed (Check One) rginal Site DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

Dorchester North Burying Ground, roughly a parallelogram with a rectangular rear extension, lies at the corner of Columbia Road and Stoughton Street. The junction of these reverse-curve streets results from the protruding corner of the oldest section of the cemetery, which was established in 1633. Several expansions of one quarter to three quarter acre plots begun in 1694 and continuing in 1718, 1727, 1741, 1745, and 1820 brings the total acreage of the settlement's only cemetery for two centuries to 3.27 acress. The Burying Ground is contained by asolid concrete wall, nearly5 feet high with recessed panel detailing; the wall replaced a 19th century decorative iron and granite 1 fence. Gates from this earlier period still provide entrance to the cemetery and are marked by large commemorative bronze tablets placed by the city in 1883.

The rectangular ordering of the plots, unusual in a 17th century cemetery, un resulted in the ground's organization into twenty-four regular subdivisions when pathways were laid out in 1834. The rennovation project of this year was alsc responsible for a general ground cleaning and landscaping. The clusters of mature maple trees date from this project. - Z Dorchester North contains approximately 1200 markers--upright stones of slate, marble, sandstone, granite, tombs in straight ranges. upright curve-topped slabs from the 17th century to light-toned, slender rectangular steles popular in the late 18th century to the more substantial, thick, varied shapes of the 19th century monuments.

TProm ari te 18teh crentury to tel and bronze and scores of above- and at-grade u The various markers displayed range from squat, The total effect is more polychrome and varied than any other of the ancient Burying Grounds in Boston. 10 32005226 RECÊiVED APR 2 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER 11 12) iaiisre..".... No22s! : F = 8

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) Pre-Columbian: 15th Century 16th Century X 17th Century 18th Century 19th Century - 20th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (It Applicable and Known) 1633 AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Abor iginal Education Prehistoric Engineering Historic Industry Agriculture Invention Architecture Landscape Art Architecture Commerce Literature Communications Military Conservation Music Political Religion/Phi- losophy ] Science Sculpture X Social/Human- itarian Theater Transportation - Urban Planning Other (Specify) STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

The Dorchester North Burying Ground, also known as First Burying Ground of Dorchester, is a locally significant historic site due to its association with Dorchester's prominent founding citizens, its early establishment in the 17th century, and the exceptional inventory of 17th, 18th, and 19th century funerary sculpture. The Burying Ground was established on the southern outskirts of the agrarian community. The first of the existing markers, those of Bernard and Joan Capen, were set in 1638, although they are now displayed in the New England Geneological Society. The next oldest. and the earliest stone existing in the ancient burying grounds of Boston, is the horizontal slab belonging to Abel and Submite Clarke, 1644-1648.

Two prominant figures of the Dorchester settlement interred in the grounds are, first, William Stoughton, Lieutenant Governor of the Province from 1694 to 1699 and a later Chief Justice and benefactor of the original Stoughton Hall at Harvard College, and, second, the Reverend Richard Mather, a progenitor of the celebrated Mather family, including Increase, Cotton, and John. Other early Dorchester forefathers with grave markers here include John Danforth, Is aac Royall, John Foster, the first printer in Boston, and members of distinguished local families such as the Clapps, Blakes, and Pierces. During the Revolutionary War period, forty unknown soldiers, who died due to the Siege, were buried in a single lot. Burials at Dorchester North extended well into the 19th century, unlike most of the historic Boston cemeteries.

The later 19th century funerary sculpture provides a significant contrast to the early 17th century stones. The picturesque silhouettes and polychromy of Victorian gravemarkers which bear minimal personal data represent a departure from the earlier Revolutionary Era markers. This latter group at Dorchester North are numerous and are identifiable as the light colored slim slabs with neoclassi- cal designs--urns, swags, willow branches--inspired by antique sources. The Victorian stones contrast even further to the early Puritan markers on which the carved decorative elements of winged death's heads and hourglasses represent distinct theological doctrines of Puritanism. As the Dorchester settlement spread, the immediate area became known as Upham's Corner.

The Burying Ground became an important focal point and welcome open space in a commercial and residential node which had devejoped trom a rural farming community to a street car suburb.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 1. Drake, Samuel, Old Landmarks and Historic Personages of Boston (1st ed, 1872), Republished version, Rutland, Vt., C.E. Tuttle Co., 1971. 2. Historical Sketch of the First Burying Ground in Dorchester, Dorchester North Ground, Boston, 1905, Boston Cemetery Department. 3. Ellis, George, Bacon's Dictionary of Boston. Boston, Houghton, Mifflin & Co., The Riverside Press, 1886. 4. City of Boston, Real Property Department-Engineering Division, Map # K 34, 35, & 36, 1908. 10.

GEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THEPROPERTY R CORNER LATITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES LATITUDE LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW NE " 42 19 01.575 71 SE SW APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: 3.27 ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY/ EOUNDARIES STATE: CODE COUNTY RECÊIVED STATE: CODE COUNTY: APR 2 1974 03 51.291 CODE CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: NATIONA REGISTER CODE - N S STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE C (617) 727-8470 by Boston Landmarks Commission DATE February, 1974 STATE 2.

FORM PREPARED BY NAME AND TITLE: Elizabeth Amadon, Survey Director ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET AND NUMBER: 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICATION Massachusetts NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION CODE 025 As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na- tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the c-iteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. The recommended level of significance of this nomination is: National State Local I hereby certify that this property is included in the Nationa 1 Register. Afuorleuse Director, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation Name +X F.X .

Davoren Secretary of the Commonwealth Title Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Commission Date 3/29/74 Date 4/18/14 ATTEST: Date bnmlenty ls 4118> GP0 931-894 32 PROPERIY Dorchester Noith Burjing FoundSTATEMRSs. WORKING NUMBER 4.2,74,508 TECH REVIEW PHOTOS MAPS 2 CONTROL REVIEW Suffolk 14000915 Cm 4.4. HISTORIAN PeRtAps less impressive than some of thei others. Accept. W.R. Lue 4/10/14 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ande 5/8/74 ARCHEOLOGIST REVIEW UNIT CHIEF Age seems to grie it distiretion enonghito merit exception Grom tue criteria. AecepT Cole 4-12-74 BRANCH CHIEF Mesit eseptin t ciitura accyt temh 4-16-74 KEEPER 1/18 National Register Write-up funez,197% Federal Register entry June 4, 1974 Send-back Re-submit Entered APR 1 8 1974 INT:1538-73 Form No.

10-301a (7/72) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) (STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Suffolk FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER APR 18 8 NAME ÇOMMON: Dorchester North Burying Ground AND/OR HiSTorIC: First Burying Ground in Dorchester LOCA TION STREET AND NUMBER: Columbia Road and Stoughton Street CITY OR TOWN: 81 RECEIVET APR 8 1974 Boston (Dorchester) STATE: Massachusetts CODE COUNTY: 025 NATIONA REGISTE Suffolk PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Boston Redevelopment Authority DATE OF PHOTO: 1974 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Boston Redevelopment Authority, City Hall, Boston, Mass IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. View north east from Stoughton Street across burying ground. 2 af 4f * U.S.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1973-729-15, PROPERTY OF THE NATONAL REGISTER Form No. 10-301a (7/72) JNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries -attach to or enclose with photograph) STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Suffolk FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER APR 1 9 197 NAI ÇOMMON: Dorchester North Burying Ground AND/OR HISTORIC: LOCATION First Burying Ground in Dorchester STREET AND NUMBER: Columbia Road and Stoughton Street CITY OR TOWN: Boston (Dorchester) STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 COUNTY: APR 2 1974 NATIONAL REGISI Suffolk*/ PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Boston Redevelopment Authority DATE OF PHOTO: 1974 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Boston Redevelopment Authority, City Hall, Boston, Mass. IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. View north east from within burying ground. 4afx * U.S.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1973-729-152/14 PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Form No. 10-301a (7/72) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Suffolk FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER APR 18 NAME ÇOMMON: Dorchester North Burying Ground AND/OR HISTORIC: First Burying Ground in Dorchester 9 LOCA TION LRENE STREET AND NUMBER: Columbia Road and Stoughton Street 1974 CITY OR TOWN: Boston (Dorchester) STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 COUNTY: APR 2 NATIONAL REGISTE Suffolk® PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Boston Redevelopment Authority DATE OF PHOTO: 1974 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Boston Redevelopment Authority, City Hall, Boston, Mass IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. View within cemetery toward gate at south west corner. * U.S.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1973-729-152/ PROPERTY OF THE NATONAL REGISTER Missing Core Documentation Property Name Dorchester North Burying Ground County, State Suffolk County, Massachusetts Reference Number 74000915 The following Core Documentation is missing from this entry: Nomination Form x Photographs (missing #4) USGS Map Form No. 10-301 Rev. 7-72 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map) S C - F Z NAME COMMON: Dorchester North Burying Ground AND/OR HISTORIC: First Burying Ground in Dorchester LOGATION STREET AND NUM BER: Stoughton Street & Columbia Road CITY OR TOWN: Boston(Dorchester) STATE: Massachusetts CODE COUNTY: 025 Suffol MAP REFERENCE SOURCE: Boston Redevelopment Authority SCALE:T"=100* DATE: 1965 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1.

Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference. * U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICI Form No. 10-301 Rev. 7-72 - S UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM (Type all entries -attach to or enclose with map) C Z F NAME COMMON: Dorchester North Burying Ground AND/OR HISTORIC: First Burying Ground in Dorchester LOCATION STREET AND NUM BER: stouahton street and Columbia Road CITY OR TOWN: Boston (Dorchester) STATE: CODE COUNTY: 025 Suffolk Massachusetts- MAP REFERENCE SOURCE: BostonsSouth Quadrangle hou.S.G.S. 7.5' Series SCALE: 1"=24,000' DATE: 199870 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference. AP * U.S.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFIC DORCHESTER NORTH BURYING GROUND Boston (Dorchester), Massachusetts Scale: 1"=100' .1580 71580 BELDEN Ils 158g 1580 SQ 1520 1520 188s 23,249 265g 7410 760 762 BELDEN 56/0 786 758 75, STREET 2429 2844 776A 67/R 3907 5400 0590 768 128K 769 2A RAMSEY 4966 694/ 592 588 (21|13) UPHAM'S ABI97YCORNER 7962 1878 574 2225 572 S70 568 3323 566 BAORY 67 1g CUSHING 11.499 2630 9798 2892 2892 2892 8552 CORNER STA UPHAM636 1638 US.POST OFFICE 1840 162H-X STREET 4494 6266 STREET 620 622 620 7340 618 610 26,981 6ne - 602 600 598 COLUMBIA 16/3 7395 8595 ANNABEL 3765 B. F. D. 639 ENG. NO.21 10,341 2641 UPHAM'S 2928 625 N1887 59/5 CT. []6224 6/9 7020 1817 19,923 139,002 NORTH DORCHESTER CEMETERY 596 187 V-1 X 44.73 STOUGHTON 3980 15 604g STiS 2760 SO%0 5/15 STREET Cem.

7916 22,560 9448 9504 2291 ALVAN 2297 10 3138 2281 292 6 2281 3038 3045 TERRACE 2925 SUMNER 3/18 T9 3080 83 PARK 3/90 3120 3119 316n STOUGHTON C7 BAp» 18,500 SUMN Regional Director, North Atiantic Region 4/22/74 MMott PR ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE NASSACAUSLITS Date Entered APR 1 8 1974 Name Location The Grange Dorchester North Burying Ground Firet Parish ünitarian Church Copp's H111 Burial Ground Holbrook, Dr. Anoa, House Winthrof Building Lincoln Miudlesex County Boston (Dorchester) Suffolk Couty Medfield Norfolk County Boston Suffolk County Milton Forfolk County Suffolk County Also Notified Hon. Edward M. Kennedy llon. Edvard W. Brooke lon. Robert F. Drinan Hon. John J. Moakley Hon. Margaret M. lleckler Hon. James A. Surke State Historic Preservation Officer Hon. John P. X.

Davoren Secretary of the Comnonwealth Chatrann, Massochusetts fistorical Comeissicn 40 beacon Street Boston, Massachusetts 02103