Eliot Burying Ground, Historic cemetery in Roxbury, Boston, United States.
Eliot Burying Ground is a 0.8-acre cemetery at the intersection of Eustis and Washington Streets, featuring stone walls and traditional grave markers from the colonial period. The site contains the Minister's Tomb with the remains of John Eliot and five other clergy members, as well as the Dudley family tomb holding several colonial-era governors.
Established in 1630 as Roxbury's first burial ground, this cemetery served the community for over 350 years. During the 1775 siege of Boston, American colonists built a redoubt on the site, connecting the location to the fight for independence.
The burial ground is named after John Eliot, the minister who led the First Church of Roxbury. Visitors can see through the grave markers how clergy and prominent families shaped the religious and social order during the early colonial period.
Visiting the cemetery requires advance registration with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, which offers guided tours and research access. The best time to visit is during daylight hours when the weather is clear, since the site is outdoors and some areas may be difficult to access in poor conditions.
During the siege of Boston, the cemetery served as a strategic military site where American forces built a redoubt to defend the city. This overlap of civilian burial and military use makes it a rare example of a place that functioned as both cemetery and fortress at the same time.
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