{"nrhp_refnum":"85001530","name":"Neck of Land Cemetery","other_names":[],"category":"site","location":{"address":"Summer St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Taunton","county":"Bristol County","state":"MA","lat":41.89790262500003,"lon":-71.08545734899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-07-10","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Landscape Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A small colonial-era burying ground of about half an acre on Summer Street in Taunton, Massachusetts, in the Neck of Land area at the confluence of the Taunton and Mill Rivers. It is owned by the City of Taunton.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the cemetery is significant for its age and distinctive design features, and says it meets Criterion C. It is described as the oldest burying ground in the city, with gravestones dating from 1687 to 1889.","narrative":"Neck of Land Cemetery is a half-acre burying ground on Summer Street in Taunton, Massachusetts, at the point where the Taunton and Mill Rivers meet. It is regarded as the oldest burying ground in the city. No record survives of how it was laid out or where its boundaries ran, and it may once have extended across what is now Summer Street, which could explain why the graves of the earliest settlers have not been found. About 123 gravestones remain, with death dates from 1687 to 1889. The oldest stones mark Elizabeth Smith and Damaris Smith. Others commemorate John Deane, the first child born in Taunton, and Seth Williams, a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. The city-owned site was listed for its age and distinctive design features, and it was judged to retain integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Recorded in the 1978 survey as well kept up, with about 123 gravestones.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.968438-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/73/7897/63789773/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/85001530.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85001530/aaba5fb557-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85001530/aaba5fb557-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neck_o_Land_Cemetery.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neck_o_Land_Cemetery.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63789773","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neck_of_Land_Cemetery","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14715753"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/bristol-county/neck-of-land-cemetery-85001530/"}