Old Burying Ground
Also known as: First Town Cemetery
Why it's listed
Littleton's Old Burying Ground is a long, narrow 1.25-acre cemetery on King Street, one block west of the town common. It holds about 400 recorded burials from 1717 to 1909, marked by roughly 340 gravestones, over 50 footstones and a few monuments. Over 90 percent of the markers are dark gray slate, many carved with winged death's heads, willows and urns, and some attributed to the Park, Lamson, Stevens and Worster families. A chinked granite wall of about 1748 fronts the street, and the grounds include family lots, a tomb dated 1821 and a granite obelisk honoring the town's second minister, Daniel Rogers. Nineteen Revolutionary War veterans are reportedly buried here. The cemetery was listed for its link to the town's early settlement, as the only municipal burying ground in the town's first century, and for the artistry of its markers. It also illustrates how burial customs and memorials changed into the 19th century.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is closely tied to the early settlement of Littleton, serving as the town's only municipal burying ground for its first century. It is also a well-preserved Colonial New England burial ground that shows changing ideas of death and commemoration through the 19th century. It holds an outstanding collection of carved slate markers, some by known carving families.
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 01001560, listed February 5, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | King St., near jct. with White St., Littleton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | February 5, 2002 |
| Reference number | 01001560 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1721 - 1909 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Community Planning and Development, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Generally well maintained, though some gravestones have been lost over time; still functioning as a cemetery. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.54533, -71.47834 (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 01001560.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7083563
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.