Granary Burying Ground

Many times I have walked past the Granary Burying Ground, but only twice have I took true notice of its gravestones. The first was nearly a year and a half ago, when my mother and I spent a weekend in Boston exploring the Freedom Trail, which this cemetery is on. Today was the second time I lingered within its confines, taking note of its inhabitants and reflecting on the mark many of them left in our society. 

The Burying Ground is home to many names Americans know best: Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, among many others. They are the names vested in American folklore and they all rest here, in this relatively small plot of land sandwiched in between tall, shamelessly modern office buildings. My first response is that the land surrounding the burial ground should have been better preserved, but now it seems almost refreshing to me-this little enclave of revolutionary spirits (and some Tory spirits as well) dwelling here while modernity continues to rise around its center. However, the informational posts within the burying ground informed me that it had always been a somewhat congested area, so perhaps there was no real opportunity, or desire even, to make the area a larger memorial.  Home to 2,345 gravestones and 204 tombs, the Granary Burying Ground is not Boston's oldest graveyard, but it certainly seems as if it is the city's most beloved.  

Through sites like this, Boston has rekindled my love for colonial history. I am re-watching the HBO mini series of "John Adams" for the first time and the hope is that I can soon visit Quincy. I have also begun reading First Family: Abigail and John Adams by the historian Joseph J. Ellis and almost every page is filled with lovely bits of their correspondence. 

I think I'll go read some of it now.