Salem Street Burying Ground, Medford, Massachusetts
Salem Street Burying Ground is a small historic cemetery located at the intersection of Salem Street and Riverside Avenue in Medford, Massachusetts. The grounds hold approximately 600 graves, with only about 485 visible markers, many carved from slate with symbols such as willow trees and winged skulls.
The burial ground began in the late 1600s as a private family plot for the Wade family and was purchased by the town in 1717. The oldest visible grave marker dates from 1683, with the site continuing to serve as a burial place for residents until the late 1800s.
The burial ground served generations of townspeople as a resting place for their dead. Carved symbols on the stones, including winged skulls and hourglasses, reflect beliefs about the soul and the passage of time that shaped early community life.
The cemetery is centrally located in Medford and easily accessible on foot, with the main entrance on Riverside Avenue. Visitors can freely walk the grounds and examine the historic markers, with a commemorative monument near the entrance providing historical context.
The cemetery holds approximately 50 graves of enslaved people buried without name markers, a history made visible only after students organized a 2019 memorial dedication. These markings help visitors recognize a part of Medford's history that was long overlooked.
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