Northborough burial ground has seen improvements in past decade

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Installing an interpretive sign about the site that includes a list of known and probable burials is one of the improvements made at the Brigham Street Burial Ground in Northborough. Photo/Norm Corbin

Installing an interpretive sign about the site that includes a list of known and probable burials is one of the improvements made at the Brigham Street Burial Ground in Northborough. Photo/Norm Corbin

NORTHBOROUGH – Over the past twelve years, there have been several preservation and restoration projects at the Brigham Street Burial Ground in Northborough. The recent removals of dead and diseased trees, grading and reseeding the lawn and installing fencing have been the newest and most visible improvements. The burial ground now has the respect it deserves for Northborough’s colonial ancestors.

The Brigham Street Burial Ground is the oldest burial ground within Northborough. It was laid out in November of 1729. At that time, Northborough’s lands were within the northern section of the town of Westborough. The purpose of the site was to have a burial ground closer to the northern inhabitants. Once the Massachusetts General Court granted a request of the northern inhabitants to become a Precinct of Westborough in 1744, the burial ground was no longer used. The Precinct designation allowed the Northerners to have their own meeting house and minister. A new burial ground was opened behind the original Church of Christ Meeting House and is known today as the Howard Street Burial Ground.

To appreciate recent efforts to preserve and restore the burial site it is useful to recognize the challenges of the site once it was closed. The closure started after almost 275 years of continuous neglect with intermittent improvements. In 1826, Rev. Joseph Allen reported that the burial site “is now overgrown with trees and brush.” In 1845, a committee was formed to evaluate the site and reported their findings at the November 19 Town Meeting. As part of their efforts, four stone markers, that still remain, were installed at the corners of the lot. The report states “The present state of the ground is such as shows great disrespect for our departed ancestors, and great neglect to a spot consecrated as a resting place for the dead.”

Their recommendation was to have the site cleared of all underbrush and trim the trees. In 1921, Rev. Kent reported is his “Northborough History” book that he inspected the condition of the site and “found it to be in the same condition that the 1845 committee described in their report.” In 1945, Alice Kimball, who was the Historical Society president at the time, initiated a project to restore the site. According to Kimball “the place was nearly impenetrable.” She was successful in obtaining $300 from the town for improvements. As part of the effort, a bronze plaque, that still remains, was installed identifying the site as a burial ground. In 1978 Carol Haberland, the chair of the Northborough Historical Commission, was able to improve the site with support from the Northborough Cemetery Commission, the girl and boy scouts, the Junior Women’s Club and the fire department. In recent years, the Northborough DPW has continued to maintain the site, removing yard waste and trash.

The primary challenge for long-term site improvements had been the lack of funding. That all changed with the acceptance of the Community Preservation Act (CPA) by the Northborough community in 2005. Since 2012, the Historical Commission and the Northborough DPW have jointly identified and implemented a series of projects to improve the Brigham Street Burial Ground site using “Historical Preservation” CPA funds. The major efforts include:

  • Cleaning, repairing and straightening the stone burial markers
  • Using Ground Penetrating Radar to identify burial locations
  • Installing signage identifying the site as a colonial burial ground
  • Installing an interpretive sign about the site that includes a list of known and probable burials as identified by Beth Finch-McCarthy, a local genealogist
  • Removal of all dead and diseased trees, grading and seeding the site, installing fencing and a small parking area
  • Future plans include planting trees, identifying the area where burials are located and eventually listing in the National Register of Historic places

Thank you, Northborough citizens, for your support for the preservation and restoration of this historical site.

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