{"nrhp_refnum":"87001401","name":"Westerly Burial Ground","other_names":["Centre Street Burial Ground"],"category":"site","location":{"address":"Centre St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"West Roxbury","county":"Suffolk County","state":"MA","lat":42.281369023000025,"lon":-71.15882879699996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-11-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Art"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Westerly Burial Ground is a 0.91-acre cemetery on Centre Street in West Roxbury, Boston, established by town vote in 1683 and enlarged to the west around 1845.","why_significant":"It is one of the few surviving elements of West Roxbury's 17th century settlement and one of seven 17th century burial grounds in Boston. It holds a comprehensive collection of three centuries of funerary sculpture, including stones attributed to skilled regional carvers. It also holds the graves of the town's early prominent families and of Revolutionary and Civil War veterans.","narrative":"Westerly Burial Ground is a small cemetery of about 0.91 acres on Centre Street, the main commercial street of West Roxbury in Boston. Town selectmen voted in 1683 to allow a burying place for residents of the western part of Roxbury, and the earliest surviving marker dates to 1691. Around 1845 the grounds were enlarged to the west and enclosed with a puddingstone wall and granite gateposts. About 265 grave markers remain, along with seven mid-19th century tombs and a granite obelisk. The stones record the changing style of New England gravestone art, from plain early slate markers with death's heads to carved 18th century designs and classical 19th century motifs. Some are attributed to area carvers. Burials include members of the Draper, Lyon, Whiting, Corey and Billings families, eight Revolutionary War veterans and fifteen Civil War veterans. The site was listed locally for its association with early settlement and for its funerary art. The last burial took place in 1951.","period_of_significance":"1683-1900","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as in relatively good condition; earliest slate markers are in good condition, while large tombs need masonry repair and 19th century brownstone and marble stones need the most repair. Last burial was in 1951.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:01.79222-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/38/7970/63797038/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/87001401.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001401/761b802f33-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001401/761b802f33-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Biruitorul (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WesterlyBG2.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Biruitorul (talk)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WesterlyBG2.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63797038","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerly_Burial_Ground","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7987408"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/suffolk-county/westerly-burial-ground-87001401/"}