Bennington Street Burying Ground
Also known as: Bennington Street Cemetery
Why it's listed
Bennington Street Burying Ground is a 3.6-acre municipal cemetery in East Boston, laid out in 1837-1838 when the district was being subdivided on newly shaped land. Its rectilinear plan, cruciform paths and rows of trees contrast with the crowded older burying grounds of central Boston, yet it did not follow the romantic landscape style of Mount Auburn Cemetery. About 300 headstones, mostly marble, along with 12 brick tombs, mark burials from 1839 to 1948. Epitaphs and carvings reveal a largely working-class, immigrant community, with ties to Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and Norway, and to shipbuilding, the sea and the Eastern Railroad. Thirty-seven Civil War veterans and two World War I veterans are buried here. It was listed for its link to East Boston's early development and as a well-preserved example of a mid-19th-century municipal burial ground marking the transition toward later rural cemeteries. Its period of significance runs from 1837 to 1952.
Significance in brief: It is the only cemetery laid out in East Boston in 1837 and reflects the area's early history, including its working-class and immigrant population tied to shipbuilding and the railroad. It also illustrates the shift in New England burial design from crowded older grounds to spacious, orderly layouts. It is the largest and newest of Boston's 16 historic burying grounds.
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 02000548, listed May 22, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bennington St., bet. Swift and harmony Sts., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | May 22, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000548 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1837-1952 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Community Planning and Development, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Generally well-maintained and neat, though many marble stones and the tombs need repair. The last confirmed burial was in 1948. |
| Acreage | 3.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.38069, -71.02145 (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 02000548.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4889885
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.