Old Burying Ground, cemetery in Beaufort, North Carolina, USA

Old Burying Ground is a historic cemetery established in 1724 in Beaufort, North Carolina. It holds about 200 stones from before the Civil War, roughly 45 from the war years, and some 150 from 1865 to 1900, plus a few 20th-century markers. Notable burials include Otway Burns, a naval hero of the War of 1812, and Colonel William Thompson, who commanded the Carteret County Regiment during the American Revolution.

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.

The grave known as the "Girl in the Rum Keg" holds a child who died at sea and was preserved in rum until burial. Otway Burns, a privateer captain in the War of 1812, lies here, as do crew members of the schooner Crissie Wright, lost in an 1886 storm.