Fairview Cemetery (Additional Documentation)
Why it's listed
Fairview Cemetery is a 57.72-acre burial ground in Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood, extending slightly into Dedham. Hyde Park established it in 1892 as its first cemetery, and Boston acquired it after annexation in 1912. It is still in use, though new burial space is limited. The landscape combines a wooded central hill, open lawn, mature trees and an unusual network of interior puddingstone retaining walls. A brick Gothic chapel of 1917, designed by Berry and Davidson, now serves as the office, and an 1893 granite receiving tomb survives nearby. Sections are set aside for Civil War and Spanish-American War veterans, firefighters, Catholics, Syrian families and paupers, showing the variety of the community. The bronze Civil War soldier by Melzar Mosman is the most artistic monument. Notable burials include James Monroe Trotter and his son, the civil rights editor William Monroe Trotter. The cemetery was listed for its link to local history and its design from 1892 to 1959.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is tied to the history of Hyde Park, as the town's first cemetery and its primary burial ground, and it reflects the community's diverse immigrant population. It also illustrates late 19th- and early 20th-century cemetery and monument design, with distinctive puddingstone retaining walls and a bronze Civil War soldiers memorial. It contains the graves of notable residents, including James Monroe Trotter and William Monroe Trotter.
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 09000717, listed September 16, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 45 Fairview Ave., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | September 16, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000717 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1892-1959 |
| Architect / builder | Berry and Davidson (cemetery office/chapel); Melzar H. Mosman (Civil War Soldiers Memorial sculptor), cast by Gorham Co. |
| Architectural style | Gothic (cemetery office) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains an active city cemetery with limited new burial space; the 1917 chapel was converted to a cemetery office in 1998. |
| Acreage | 57.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.24824, -71.14260 (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 09000717.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5430795
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.