Ireland Street Cemetery
Why it's listed
Ireland Street Cemetery occupies a raised one-acre plot on a high ridge in Chesterfield, Massachusetts, surrounded by orchards and farmland. Dry-laid fieldstone walls enclose it, and the east side has a granite-capped retaining wall with small iron urn ornaments and a wrought-iron gate. About 185 intact stones and footstones stand in seven north-south rows, all facing east, with dates from 1772 to 1996. The markers trace changing styles, from 18th-century tabernacle-shaped schist stones with soul effigies, through willow-and-urn designs and plain marble slabs, to later obelisks and Celtic crosses. Several early stones are attributed to the itinerant carvers Joseph and Elijah Sikes, and others to Elijah Phelps and an unidentified local amateur. The cemetery also holds the graves of early families who settled on Ireland Street from the 1760s, including the Halbert, Cowing, Sylvester and Cole families, along with Baptist congregation members and Revolutionary War participants.
Significance in brief: The cemetery holds about 185 intact markers that show changes in gravestone carving from the 18th to the 20th century. Several stones are attributed to itinerant carvers, notably Joseph and Elijah Sikes, and others to Elijah Phelps and local carvers. It also records the burials of many of Chesterfield's early settler families, including Baptist and Revolutionary War-era residents.
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 09000471, 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 | 09000471 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Gravestone carvers attributed include Joseph Sikes, Elijah Sikes and Elijah Phelps |
| Areas of significance | Art, Community Planning and Development, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a cemetery; walls are in fairly good condition, with one toppled area at the northeast corner, and the ground is well kept. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.36512, -72.88409 (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 09000471.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16892716
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.