Dorchester North Burying Ground

Dorchester North Burying Ground is a cemetery in Upham's Corner that sits along Columbia Road at its intersection with Stoughton Street, enclosed by concrete walls and iron fencing. The grounds hold over 1,200 markers representing people from the colonial period through the 1900s.

The cemetery was established in 1634 and stands as one of Boston's oldest burial grounds. Two colonial governors, William Stoughton and William Tailer, were laid to rest here.

The gravestones here span centuries and show how people's ideas about burial art changed over time. Walking among them reveals the shifting styles and craftsmanship that families chose to honor their loved ones.

The grounds are accessible to visitors, though it helps to get oriented at the edges of the property first. Since the cemetery sits in a busy urban area, visiting during daytime hours is recommended, and watch for traffic on the surrounding streets.

In 1834, the grounds were redesigned according to Samuel Downer's plan, which added 400 shade trees and rare specimen trees. This transformed the burial ground into a tree park with pathways named after families.