Old Burying Ground, cemetery in Beaufort, North Carolina, USA
Old Burying Ground is the town's oldest cemetery, situated in the middle of Beaufort's historic district on Ann Street. The grounds contain hundreds of graves marked with stones, shells, bricks, and wooden slabs, with some featuring brick vaults built to protect the markers from water and decay over the centuries.
The cemetery began in the early 1700s as a burial place for the nearby St. John's Parish church. In 1731, Nathaniel Taylor donated the land to the town, officially establishing it as a public cemetery that served the growing community.
The cemetery reflects how early residents honored their dead with simple markers made from stone, shells, bricks, and wood based on what was locally available. These varied burial practices show the resourcefulness and daily choices of people who lived and worked on this coastal area.
The cemetery is open to visitors during daylight hours and can be explored on foot at your own pace. Self-guided maps are available at the gates, and organized tours are offered to help you understand the stories behind the graves and markers.
An unusual story involves a child who died at sea and was buried in a keg of rum, showing how sailors handled tragedy in their own way. Captain Otway Burns, a known privateer, and the crew of the schooner Crissie Wright, who perished in an 1886 storm at sea, also rest here.
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