National Register of Historic Places

Chester Village Cemetery

Chester, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Listed
November 29, 1979
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79000203

About this property

Chester Village Cemetery is a historic cemetery at the junction of New Hampshire Routes 102 and 121 in the center of Chester, New Hampshire. Established in 1751, it is one of the state's older cemeteries, and is particularly unusual for the large number of grave markers that were signed by their carvers. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The Chester Village Cemetery is located in the town center of Chester, at the eastern corner of Routes 102 and 121. The property is about 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) in size, and roughly rectangular in shape. The long side, along Route 121, is also its oldest portion; known as the "Revolutionary Quarter", it is about 1 acre (0.40 ha) in size, and has many graves dating to the period of the American Revolutionary War. Monuments in this older section are predominantly of either slate or sandstone, although there are some that are marble. The cemetery was established in 1751, and became the town's main burying ground. Prior to that time, many families had buried their dead either in small family plots or in church yards; after this cemetery was established, many moved their dead here. The cemetery has one of the largest number of signed gravestones in the region. Two prominent local stone carvers were Stephen and Abel Webster, both of whose works appear here (Abel Webster is also buried here). This has enabled researchers to differentiate their styles from each other, making possible the identification of their work in other regional cemeteries. Prominent burials include two Governors of New Hampshire, Samuel and John Bell, and William Richardson, Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockingham County, New Hampshire New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 139: Chester Village Cemetery

Location

Chester, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
42.95770, -71.25546

Categories

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINALARTSOCIAL HISTORY
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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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Nearby Historic Sites

Chester Congregational Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Stevens Memorial Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Sandown Old Meetinghouse
Industrial
3.9 mi
Sandown Depot, Boston and Maine Railroad
Industrial
4 mi
East Derry Historic District
Listed
4.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Chester Village Cemetery listed on the National Register?

Chester Village Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Chester Village Cemetery?

Chester Village Cemetery is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Chester Village Cemetery?

The period of significance for Chester Village Cemetery is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Chester Village Cemetery?

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