About this property
Center Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Southampton, Massachusetts. The 6.5-acre (2.6 ha) cemetery is located on the west side of Massachusetts Route 10, about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) north of Southampton Center. It was the town's first cemetery, with the oldest marker dating 1738. It remains its principal burying ground, providing resting places for the town's early settlers and later civic and business leaders. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. Southampton's Center Cemetery is located in central Southampton, with the historic town center to its south and a modern commercial district to its north. It is set on a roughly rectangular parcel 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) in size on the west side of Massachusetts Route 10. It is organizationally divided into twelve sections, with areas 2 through 4 constituting its oldest sections. Ten of these sections are laid out in strips perpendicular to the road, with gravel paths between them. The older sections are unusual in that early graves were placed somewhat haphazardly in family plots, which were infilled with later burials in the 19th century as a space economization measure. The cemetery's exact date of founding is not recorded, with its first appearance on a map in 1750, and its oldest grave marked 1738. The town apparently began management of it in 1754, a point at which may have been enlarged. The grounds underwent several expansions to reach their present size, and further growth is contemplated. In the 1830s a receiving vault was added, and an iron fence was installed around three sides of the perimeter in 1900. The Soldiers' Monument, a red sandstone obelisk which stands prominently at the cemetery entrance, was placed in 1866. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampshire County, Massachusetts
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Center Cemetery
This page lists Center Cemetery. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Nearby Battles
Questions about this property
When was Center Cemetery listed on the National Register?
Center Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 15, 2013.
What type of historic resource is Center Cemetery?
Center Cemetery is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Center Cemetery?
The period of significance for Center Cemetery is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1738.
Can I research the history near Center Cemetery?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Center Cemetery will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Hampshire County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Hampshire County.
Explore HampshireCounty ›More historic places in Massachusetts
Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.
View Massachusettshistoric sites ›Massachusetts history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Massachusettshistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Center Cemetery will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.