Center Cemetery
Why it's listed
Center Cemetery is a 2.4-acre burial ground along Sam Hill Road, close to Worthington Center in western Massachusetts. Its earliest burial dates to about 1774, and new graves are still added. Mature sugar maples line all four edges, dry-laid fieldstone walls enclose three sides, and cart paths divide the grounds into four sections that show changing burial styles from the 1770s onward. Of 631 markers, about 63 percent are marble and 33 percent granite, and several are carved in Goshen Stone by local carvers. The 1777 stone of Jereme Kinne bears the rare Hampton Indian motif. The cemetery holds the graves of early settlers, the town's first minister, Revolutionary War veterans, and prominent families such as the Brewsters, Starkweathers and Burrs. It was listed for its association with the town's settlement and growth and for its landscape features and locally made gravestones, which keep the character of an eighteenth-century rural burial ground.
Significance in brief: The cemetery holds the graves of Worthington's original settlers, church founders, veterans of five wars and influential local families, reflecting the town's early development (Criterion A). It also has a designed rural landscape of maple-lined edges, fieldstone walls and grid paths, and many locally carved markers, including a rare Hampton Indian motif stone from 1777 (Criterion C).
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 13000170, listed April 16, 2013. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 178 College Hwy (Rte 10), Southhampton |
|---|---|
| County | Hampshire County |
| Listed | April 16, 2013 |
| Reference number | 13000170 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1774-1954 |
| Architect / builder | G. Fleming; H. Pomeroy; Logan & Joyner; F. Munnier; T. Sturges; Rule & Marble (stone carvers) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Landscape Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a cemetery; burials continue today. |
| Acreage | 6.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.23692, -72.72573 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 13000170.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16858641
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.