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Photograph of Chelsea Garden Cemetery
Photograph by Jameslwoodward, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Chelsea Garden Cemetery

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.

From the record

“Chelsea Garden Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The cemetery was established in 1841 to provide the city a burying ground in the then-fashionable rural cemetery style, and was the first cemetery within the city limits.”

Wikipedia article Chelsea Garden Cemetery, CC BY-SA 4.0.

one of 206 National Register listings in Suffolk County · listed in 2001 · category: Site · one of 5 National Historic Landmarks in Suffolk County.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 15 objectss, 2 sitess as contributing to the listing.
  • Address. 70 Central Ave. (formerly Shawmut St.), Chelsea, 02150
  • When was it listed? 2001-02-09
  • Category. site
  • Township. Chelsea city
  • National Register reference number. 01000089 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

The ground it stands on

1,293 words

The chapter on Chelsea City in Professional and Industrial History of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, published 1894 names Chelsea. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

Chehsea, then comprising Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop, was set off from Boston in 1739. The Post-Office at Chelsea was established July 0, 1833. In 1846 North Chelsea, comprising Revere and Winthrop, was set off. In 1857 Chelsea became a City. It covers about 1,440 acres, has about 30,000 inhabitants (August 1, 1893), 5,000 houses, fifty miles of streets, and the highest point rises two hundred and twenty feet above sea level.

Passage source: Professional and Industrial History of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, published 1894.

The first Postmaster at Chelsea was Horatio Alger (the Otffcial Registers call him Algier), father of the story teller. He served until March 31, 1843. His successor was Abel Bowen. From 1844 to 1850 Benjamin Dodge served. Mrs. Sarah A. Newell was Postmaster from 1850 to 1854; Gideon W. Young from 1854 to 1861; Hadley P. Burrill from 1861 to 1869; Clifton A. Blanchard from 1869 to June 30, 1873, when the independent Post-Otficc ceased, being changed to a Station of the Boston Post-OiSce.

Passage source: Professional and Industrial History of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, published 1894.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Chelsea City - 1,293 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

37 since 2015

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 37 fires within 5 miles of Chelsea Garden Cemetery between 2015 and 2020, burning about 19 acres in total. None started naturally. 2 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined16
Debris and open burning12
Recreation and ceremony3
Smoking3
Arson/incendiarism2
Misuse of fire by a minor1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
4 September 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
3 September 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
3 September 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
23 September 2019Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
23 September 2019Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
22 September 2019Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
21 September 2020Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
2 September 2017Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlQUINCY

Every fire recorded in Suffolk County

Specimens collected near this property

12 of 16,825 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 16,825 specimens collected within 10 miles of Chelsea Garden Cemetery between 1810 and 1975: 7,665 Plantae, 4,104 Fungi, 3,242 Animalia, 1,284 Chromista, 229 Bacteria, 180 Protozoa, 121 Unrecorded. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by ?, A B Seymour, A C Gibson and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Image SpeciesYear Collected by Where, as recorded
A photograph of the species Thalictrum L., not of this specimenThalictrum L.1810Boott, J.W.Near Boston.
A photograph of the species Anemone L., not of this specimenAnemone L.1815Boott, J.Andover Turnpike, 7 miles from Boston.
A photograph of the species Betula L., not of this specimenBetula L.1815Boott, J.W.Near Fresh Pond, Cambridge, 4 miles from Boston.
A photograph of the species Chenopodium album, not of this specimenChenopodium album L.1815not recordedGathered at Bunker (properly Breed's) Hill.
A photograph of the species Corylus L., not of this specimenCorylus L.1815not recordedCambridge Port, 2 miles from Boston.
Ericaceae1815BoottBoston, U.S.A.
Acanthis flammea flammea (Linnaeus, 1758)1900ZAPPEY, W RROSLINDALE
Acer carpinifolium Siebold & Zucc.1900A. K. HarrisonHarvard Botanic Garden, Cambridge.
Acer palmatum var. dissectum (Thunb.) Miq.1900A. K. HarrisonHarvard Botanic Garden, Cambridge.
Agaricus flavescens (Gillet) Sacc.1900G. E. Morris
Agarum turneri Postels & Ruprecht1900J. MurdochRevere
Alnus incana subsp. rugosa (Du Roi) R.T.Clausen1900J. Murdoch, Jr.Roxbury

All 16,825 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this property

10 of 14 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 14 workings within 5 miles of Chelsea Garden Cemetery: 9 plants, 2 past producers, 2 producers, 1 unknown. 11 still produce. What was taken out: Iron, Lead, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Gypsum-Anhydrite. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
(Facility) Vulcan Smelter--Chelsea, Ma.Copper, LeadPlant
C. J. MabardySand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Syncor Prdts Co--Malden, Ma.SilicaPlant
Us Gypsum Co--BostonGypsum-AnhydritePast Producer
Whittemore Prdts Inc--BostonPerlitePlant
(Facility) Cambridge Smelter CoLeadPlant
General Metals & Smelting--BostonLeadPlant
Industrial Serv. Centers--CambridgeIronPlant
Malden QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenUnknown
Malden QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every working recorded in Suffolk County

Storms near this property

10 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Chelsea, the town this property stands in, in 10 storm reports between 2006 and 2023: 5 flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2014Tornado (EF2)Chelsea2 hurt, $4,000,000The tornado touched down in Chelsea, where a window was blown out on Dudley Street. However, the overwhelming majority of damage occurred in Revere. Most of the damage was rated EF-1, but EF-2 rated damage did occur near Revere Beach Parkway. ||From Chelsea, the tornado moved across the Chelsea River, directly across the Paul Cronin Memorial Skating Rink. Portions of the rink's roof were blown northeastward across Route 16. Numerous houses on Revere Beach Parkway were damaged, with one roof blown completely off. In that same area, large oak trees were snapped in half. Numerous trees were downed, some of which were lifted up and then deposited on top of houses immediately behind Revere Beach Parkway.||The damage was widespread throughout much of the center of Revere. The tornado traveled northward, following Route 107 or Broadway for the most part. Windows were blown out of town hall and the roof was damaged. A large birch tree was uprooted near town hall. Sixty-four structures sustained damage that ranged from siding torn off to roofs lifted or blown off. Thirteen of these structures (6 - 1 & 2 family homes, 3 - multifamily homes, and 4 commercial buildings) were deemed uninhabitable by building inspectors. Several store signs were destroyed. Debris from homes collected on fences. Trees fell on cars, a few of these crushed.||Revere High School also sustained damage, mainly to the exterior. Side panels, fencing, sidewalks, and air handlers on the roof were damaged.||Police reported a car that had been overturned at the intersection of Revere Street and Carleton Avenue. Finally, near the rotary at Route 60 and Broadway, a billboard was blown onto several cars.||City officials estimated that city owned buildings alone sustained at least 1.5 to 2 million dollars of damage. ||While no major injuries were reported, several minor injuries occurred. An 86 year old woman suffered from a head laceration which she sustained from flying debris while standing outside a Dunkin Donuts. A two week old baby girl strapped in the back seat of a truck was injured when a board flew through the rear windshield of the vehicle. The board missed the infant but covered her in broken glass.
September 2017FloodChelsea$40,000At 749 AM EST in the Orient Heights section of Boston, multiple basements on Ashley and Bennington Streets were flooded and the backyards had 3 to 4 feet of water.
October 2014FloodChelsea$30,000In Chelsea, cars were stuck in flood waters near Third Street. Several streets were closed due to flooding including: Second Street, Willow Street, Vale Street, and Third Street.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindChelsea$8,000no account filed
June 2021Thunderstorm WindChelsea$500In Chelsea, a tree was down on Central Avenue.
July 2023Flash FloodChelsea-In Chelsea, there was significant street flooding on Rt 1 near Carter St.
July 2019FloodChelsea-Flooding was reported on Route 16 near Sweester Circle and the northeast Expressway in Everette.
September 2018Flash FloodChelsea-At 10:40 AM EST, Vernon Road in Chelsea was closed due to flooding.
July 2017FloodChelsea-At 717 PM EST, Carter Street in Chelsea was under a foot and a half of water between Addison Street and Beech Street. At 724 PM, the Revere Beach Parkway eastbound near Webster Avenue was closed due to flooding.
July 2017FloodChelsea-At 621 PM EST, an emergency manager reported widespread flooding through the city of Chelsea, resulting in manhole covers popping off. At 631 PM EST, amateur radio operators reported Second Street, Shurtleff Street, and Vale Street were all flooded and impassable.

Every storm recorded in Suffolk County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

From the nomination file

11,801 words on record

When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is quoted below word for word, never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.

Statement of significance

Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) xA Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. _B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. XC Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. - D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.) Property is: -A owned by religious institution or used for religious purposes. -B removed from its original location. _C a birthplace or grave. xD a cemetery. -E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. -F a commemorative property. -G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years.

Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) Suffolk, MA County and State Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) ART COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE SOCIAL HISTORY Period of Significance 1841-1951 Significant Dates Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) Cultural Affiliation Architect/Builder 2.

The whole case file for this property - 11,801 words, 34 pages, reproduced complete.

Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 01000089, 34 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Congregation Agudath Shalom0.3 miles1993
LUNA (tugboat)0.5 miles1983
Bellingham-Cary House0.6 miles1974
Kimball, C. Henry, House0.6 miles1982
McKay, Donald, House0.7 miles1982
Bennington Street Burying Ground0.9 miles2002

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 01000089 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Suffolk CountyAll 206 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.