Northborough – Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is being used at Northborough’s historic Brigham Street Burial Ground to identify the burial locations of Northborough’s ancestors. GPR has been successfully used by many communities for this purpose. The Brigham Street Burial Ground was used between 1727 and 1749, when Northborough was still part of Westborough. There are currently only a few remaining gravestones that mark specific burial sites within the three-acre property.
Initial GPR results reveal many more burial locations than currently identified with headstones. This is in agreement with the work of Beth Finch McCarthy, a local genealogist, who by using old town documents and diaries, has documented that at least 40 citizens are buried there. The final GPR report is expected by Wednesday, Nov. 1.
The GPR data collection is being conducted by Ground Penetrating Radar Systems, Inc., as a subcontractor to Capital Environmental, LLC. This project is funded by Northborough’s Community Preservation Act.
