South Burying Ground
Also known as: Winchester Street Burying Ground
Why it's listed
South Burying Ground is a small municipal cemetery of 1.37 acres on Winchester Street in southwestern Newton. Residents of Upper Falls and Oak Hill organized it in 1802 as a neighborhood burial place, and it was sold to the town in 1833. It was the third burying ground in Newton and the first without a parish connection. The 357 recorded burials date from 1803 to 1938 and include 11 Revolutionary War veterans, many placed in tombs built in 1806, and two Civil War veterans. About 165 headstones survive, roughly 55 of slate and 110 of marble, along with one pillar and five obelisks. The layout shows a move from single graves to family lots, and several stones are signed by carvers from Harvard, Newton Corner, Dedham and Waltham. A detailed 1901 map records lots, graves and plantings. Listing recognized its ties to local history and its value as an early 19th century New England burial ground, despite lost markers and overgrowth.
Significance in brief: It is the third burying ground established in Newton and the first not tied to a specific parish, and it is linked to the early growth of the Upper Falls neighborhood. It illustrates early 19th century New England burial practice, including the shift from single graves to family lots and from headstones to monuments. It also holds Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans' graves and markers signed by regional carvers.
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 04001256, listed November 27, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Winchester St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | November 27, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001256 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1802-1938 |
| Architect / builder | Farnu(m), Stanton; Houghton, E. W. (Harvard, MA); Jepson (Newton Corner, MA); Lord, A. H. (Dedham, MA); Runnels (Waltham, MA) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Social History, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Inactive cemetery; the last burial was in 1938. Many headstones, footstones and brick tomb facings have deteriorated, and overgrown vegetation threatens markers. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.31778, -71.20922 (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 04001256.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7566459
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.