North Burial Ground, cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island
The North Burial Ground is a cemetery in Providence covering about 110 acres with more than 40,000 headstones. The grounds feature winding roads, mature trees, rolling terrain, and monuments ranging from simple 18th-century stones to elaborate 19th-century sculptures and memorials, including features like a Receiving Tomb and marble entrance staircase.
The North Burial Ground was established in 1700 as one of the city's first public cemeteries, chosen for its remote location and poor soil. In the 1840s, reformers like Zachariah Allen transformed it into a park-like setting with winding paths and trees, inspired by garden cemeteries in larger cities and reflecting changing attitudes about such spaces.
The North Burial Ground holds graves of people from many different faiths and backgrounds, all buried side by side regardless of wealth or status. The monuments and headstones show how burial customs and ways of remembering the dead have changed over time, offering a visible record of how people in Providence have honored their loved ones across generations.
The cemetery is open daily from early morning through afternoon, with extended evening hours on weekends from May through October. The grounds are accessible for walking and jogging, with well-defined winding paths and open areas that allow visitors to move around easily throughout the site.
The grounds hold the grave of Kady Brownell, a woman who fought as a soldier during the Civil War, with a headstone honoring her service and bravery. There is also an Armenian memorial monument erected in 1977 that honors victims of the 1915 genocide, reflecting the long history of Armenians in Providence on this site.
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