Gate Cemetery
Why it's listed
Gate Cemetery is a small burial ground of roughly one-third of an acre on Ireland Street in West Chesterfield, Massachusetts. Fieldstone walls about four and a half feet high enclose it, and the only entrance is a pair of granite posts holding removable wooden rails. Inside are 121 markers and footstones plus 26 fragments, mostly marble slabs and tabernacle forms, with obelisks, a few schist, slate and granite stones, and one zinc family monument. The earliest marker, for Joseph Gere, dates to 1808 and carries an open book, a rare motif locally. The cemetery served families settled along Ireland Street and the Pontoosuc Turnpike, where a toll gate gave the neighborhood the name The Gate. Markers show the work of carvers such as Elijah Sikes and Thomas Sturges, and they stay modest in form and imagery. Burials were most numerous between 1830 and 1870 and dropped sharply after 1900. The period of significance runs from 1808 to 1959.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is a neighborhood burial ground tied to the families who settled along Ireland Street and the Pontoosuc Turnpike toll gate, which gave 'The Gate' its name. Its markers show regional gravestone carving, including work by Elijah Sikes and Thomas Sturges, and an unusual zinc family monument. It reflects changing forms and settlement patterns from the Federal period through the early industrial era.
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 09000470, listed July 1, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Ireland St., Chesterfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampshire County |
| Listed | July 1, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000470 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1808-1959 |
| Architect / builder | Marker carvers include Elijah Sikes (attributed) and Thomas Sturges (signed) |
| Areas of significance | Art, Community Planning and Development, Religion |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Active cemetery with 121 markers and footstones and 26 fragments; a few markers postdate 1959. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.39262, -72.88395 (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 09000470.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16891555
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.