{"nrhp_refnum":"05001372","name":"Wright Cemetery","other_names":[],"category":"site","location":{"address":"Groton Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Westford","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.60897052300004,"lon":-71.46696271399998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-12-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Community Planning and Development","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Wright Cemetery is a small town-owned burial ground on Groton Road (Route 40) in Westford, Massachusetts, in use from about 1819 and formally authorized by the town in 1836. It holds roughly 150 visible historic burials on about half an acre.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion A for its association with community events such as Revolutionary War and War of 1812 service and the establishment of family burial grounds in the early 19th century. Under Criterion C it is significant as a burial ground with gravestone carving typical of the period, including slate, marble and granite markers by Lowell-area carvers. It retains much of its historic appearance.","narrative":"Wright Cemetery is a small, flat, grass-covered burial ground on the north side of Groton Road in Westford, Massachusetts. Its earliest marked death dates to 1819, and in 1836 the town granted Bela Wright and neighbors the privilege of keeping a burying ground there. It was privately owned by the Wright family until the 20th century, when it passed to the town. About 150 historic burials lie on roughly half an acre, among them farmers, mill workers and veterans of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and World War II. Slate, marble and granite markers show changing gravestone styles, from urn-and-willow designs to a ten-foot granite obelisk. Several stones were carved by Lowell-area carvers, most often B. Day. Granite posts with wood rails and a fieldstone wall enclose the grounds. Regular repairs have changed little, and burials continue today.","period_of_significance":"1819-1955","architect_builder":"B. Day (carver), T. Warren, D. Nichols, A. Sawtell, Andrews & Wheeler","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Burials are ongoing and the cemetery has been in continuous use; most stones are in good to excellent condition, though some slate markers are eroded.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:05.228325-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/99/7960/63796099/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/05001372.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05001372/d27e3accdf-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05001372/d27e3accdf-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WestfordMA_WrightCemetery.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WestfordMA_WrightCemetery.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796099","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Cemetery","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8038192"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/wright-cemetery-05001372/"}