North Burial Ground
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North Burial Ground
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Entry marker to North Burial Ground
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| Location | Providence, Rhode Island |
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| Built | 1700 |
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| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1977 |
The North Burial Ground is a 110-acre (0.45 km2) cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island, dating to 1700. It was the first public cemetery in Providence. It is located north of downtown Providence, bounded by North Main Street, Branch Avenue, the Moshassuck River, and Cemetery Street. Its main entrance is at the junction of Branch and North Main. The burial ground is one of the larger municipal cemeteries in Southern New England, at 150 acres. It accepts 220 to 225 burials per year.
From the time of its founding by Roger Williams in 1636, Rhode Island had strict separation of religious and government institutions. Therefore, Providence had no state churches with adjacent public burial grounds, as most New England towns had. Instead, townspeople buried their dead in family plots on individual farms.
In 1700, a town vote was held to establish a municipal cemetery. This cemetery was to be open to the deceased of all faiths, from millionaires to paupers, and even emancipated slaves. 45 acres were set aside; 10 acres were to be used for a cemetery, the remainder for a town common and militia training ground. However, the first official burial didn't take place until one Samuel Whipple was buried here in 1711. There were only about one or two burials per year until 1736, when 14 people were buried.
By the mid-1800s, under the influence of the Rural Cemetery Movement, cemeteries generally became viewed as a place for the general public to enjoy refined outdoor recreation. In Providence, the North Burial Ground was further landscaped. More land was added, along with curving roads and trees, to make the grounds more attractive to the living.
North Burial Ground has the burials of many notable Rhode Island residents, including governors, members of Congress, soldiers, millionaires, emancipated slaves, and literary figures:
Early 1900s postcard of North Burial Ground
Entry flag and marker to North Burial Ground
Dexter family monument with governor's flags for Gregory Dexter, colonial President
Grave monument for Governor Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence
Grave plaque for Governor Stephen Hopkins
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Wikipedia