Prince Hall Mystic Cemetery
Why it's listed
Prince Hall Mystic Cemetery is a small grassy lot on Gardner Street in East Arlington, Massachusetts, measuring roughly 93 by 100 feet. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, a Boston-based African American fraternal organization, dedicated it in 1868 as a burial place for its members. Only a few burials are documented, and in the nineteenth century it served mainly as a memorial park with a central mound, an obelisk and several headstones. Those features vanished over time, and the Lodge sold the lot in 1953 before a court ordered it bought back. Interest revived in the 1980s, and in 1990 a new gate, walkway and black granite monument were installed. Today the site is believed to be the only surviving Prince Hall Masons cemetery. It is valued for its link to the history of Massachusetts' African American community and for the archaeological evidence it may hold, including prehistoric Native American material and possible graves.
Significance in brief: It is believed to be the only surviving cemetery of the Prince Hall Masons, the first African American Masonic organization in the United States. Its significance rests on its ties to the Massachusetts African American community (Criterion A) and on its archaeological potential, both prehistoric and historic (Criterion D). The site also lies within a recorded prehistoric occupation area along Alewife Brook.
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 97001473, listed November 25, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Address restricted by the NPS (common for archaeological sites and some private homes) |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | November 25, 1998 |
| Reference number | 97001473 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1868-1875 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Historic - Aboriginal, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Cleared, fenced lot with a modern granite monument installed in 1990; the nineteenth-century above-ground features are gone, and a few small obelisk fragments and a granite block remain. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.41020, -71.13541 (Wikidata) |
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 97001473.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7244050
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.