{"nrhp_refnum":"02001474","name":"Mount Pleasant Cemetery","other_names":[],"category":"site","location":{"address":"Crocker, Cohannet, and Barnum Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Taunton","county":"Bristol County","state":"MA","lat":41.89517802800006,"lon":-71.0990916032064,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-12-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Landscape Architecture","Community Planning and Development","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A ten-acre rural cemetery in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, laid out in 1836 by local surveyor Joseph Wilbar on the former John King homestead, with the older King Family Burying Ground at its core.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an early, well-preserved rural cemetery with a naturalistic layout that respectfully incorporated the pre-existing King family burial ground. It is tied to Taunton's settlement and community development, and it holds graves of many prominent business, government and military figures. It also contains a notable collection of monuments, mausoleum and gates.","narrative":"Mount Pleasant Cemetery occupies about ten acres roughly a mile from the center of Taunton, Massachusetts. It was laid out in 1836 by local surveyor Joseph Wilbar on land donated by Samuel Crocker, formerly the John King homestead. The King Family Burying Ground, whose oldest burial dates to 1710, became the nucleus of the new design. Curving gravel drives follow the rolling hills, which carry names such as Mount Crocker and Ridge Hill, and mature beech, maple and basswood trees line the grounds. The present appearance dates largely to the 1920s, when the George E. Wilbur Mausoleum and the King Memorial Gate were added. Monuments range from simple stones to refined classical designs, some attributed to carvers such as Alpheus Cary. The cemetery was recognized for its early rural cemetery design, its link to Taunton's settlement and growth, and as the burial place of industrialists, military officers and public officials. The city took over ownership in 1986.","period_of_significance":"1710-1952","architect_builder":"Joseph Wilbar, designer","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still an active cemetery; the last lot was sold in 1984 but burials continue in family plots. Owned by the City of Taunton since 1986. The maple trees are described as in very poor condition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:04.189285-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/64/7945/63794564/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/02001474.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02001474/43a467f76b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02001474/43a467f76b-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Marcbela","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mt_Pleasant_Cemetery.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcbela</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mt_Pleasant_Cemetery.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63794564","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pleasant_Cemetery_(Taunton,_Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14715728"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/bristol-county/mount-pleasant-cemetery-02001474/"}