National Register of Historic Places

Old Cemetery

Somerville, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 17, 1989
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
89001301

About this property

The Old Cemetery, also known as the Milk Row Cemetery, is a historic cemetery on Somerville Avenue and School Street in Somerville, Massachusetts. Established in 1804 on land donated by Samuel Tufts, it is the city's oldest cemetery. The cemetery was established when Somerville was still a part of Charlestown, and many Somerville residents used that city's Phipps Street Burying Ground, and later the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge instead of this one. As a result, this cemetery remained small, and was the only one established within the city limits in the 19th century. The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The city of Somerville opens the Cemetery for tours during the spring through early fall, and holds a special event called "Ghosts of Somerville" in concert with the annual Halloween Monster Mash event. Costumed guides accompany visitors through some of the historically relevant graves, which includes one of an unknown British soldier of the Revolutionary War era that was discovered and relocated during nearby street reconstruction.

Location

Somerville, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.38159, -71.10639

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

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Everything a full report reveals about Old Cemetery

This page lists Old 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:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Carr, Martin W., School
Industrial
0.2 mi
House at 6 Kent Court
Industrial
0.2 mi
Foster, Alexander, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Shady Hill Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Spring Hill Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Cemetery listed on the National Register?

Old Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 17, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Old Cemetery?

Old Cemetery is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Cemetery?

The period of significance for Old Cemetery is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Old 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 Old Cemetery will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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