Common Burying Ground at Sandy Bank
Also known as: Bell Rock Cemetery
Why it's listed
Bell Rock Cemetery, originally the Common Burying Ground at Sandy Bank, is a three-acre wooded burial ground in southwest Malden, Massachusetts. It holds 493 headstones and nine family crypts, with stones dating from 1670 to 1909, and most of the early ones are local slate. Burials probably began by 1649, and the last took place in 1949. The cemetery is valued for its early carved gravestones, which include the 1670 marker of Alice Brackenbury and work by the Boston-area carvers Joseph Lamson and James Foster. Among those buried here are settlers of the 1630 Great Migration, veterans of colonial wars and the Revolution, four Malden ministers, and the Puritan poet Reverend Michael Wigglesworth. Railroads, mills, roads and a lumberyard cut into the grounds during the nineteenth century, and many markers were lost. Residents and the city have cared for the site since the 1880s, and annual patriotic exercises are still held there.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cemetery is a treasury of early New England mortuary art, with gravestones dating mostly before 1820 that rank among the finest and earliest decorative carvings in Massachusetts. It holds work by early Boston-area carvers Joseph Lamson and James Foster. It is also the resting place of 1630 Great Migration settlers, the Puritan poet Michael Wigglesworth, and veterans of three colonial wars.
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 81000108, listed August 27, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Green St., Malden |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | August 27, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000108 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | ca. 1649-1820 |
| Architect / builder | Joseph Lamson, James Foster |
| Areas of significance | Art, Military, Exploration/Settlement, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Maintained well by the city and retaining much of its early appearance; 38 gravestones are fractured or toppled, mostly from vandalism. The last burial took place in 1949. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 42.41762, -71.07138 (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 81000108.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5153296
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.