Josiah Blood - Old Hill Burying Ground, Concord, MA

Josiah Blood

Here Lyes Buried

the Body of

Josiah Blood

who Departed this

Life July 2 A.D. 1731 in

the 68th Year of His Age.

Mary Melven - Old Hill Burying Ground, Concord, MA

Mary Melven

Eleazer Melven - Old Hill Burying Ground, Concord, MA

Eleazer Melven

"Here lies the body of

Capt. Eleazer Melven, who

died October 18th, 1754, in

52nd year of his Age.

His Martial Genius, early engaged 

him in his Country's cause under the

command of the Valiant Capt Lovel;

in that hazardous enterprise where

in our our Hero, his commander, with many

brave & valiant men bleed & died.

He was a bold, & intrepid office, a

cheerful Christian, beloved while living

and in death greatly lamented."

David Melven - Old Hill Burying Ground, Concord, MA

David Melven (center)

"Here lies buried

the body of Capt.

David Melven

Who departed

this life November

the 18th A.D. 1745

in the 56th year

of his age."

Jonathan Melven - Old Hill Burying Ground, concord, MA

Jonathan Melven (right)

"Here lies the Body of

Mr. Jonathan Melven

who died February 15th

1737 in the 49th Year

of his age.

____

Job XIV. 12

So man lieth down, and not

till the heavens be no more

they shall not awake nor be rallied

out of their sleep"

Henry David Thoreau jailed on this spot in Concord, Massachusetts

This marker, located next to Monument Square in Concord, reads:

"Henry David Thoreau was imprisoned for one night in a jail on this site, July, 1846 for refusing to recognize the right of the state to collect taxes from him in support of slavery - an episode made famous in his essay 'Civil Disobedience'."

Old Hill Burying Ground - Concord, MA

"On this hill

the Settlers of Concord

built their Meeting House

near which they were buried

on the southern slope of the ridge

were their Dwellings during

the first winter

below it they laid out

their first Road and

on the summit stood the

Liberty Pole of the Revolution"

On the hillside overlooking Concord’s Monument Square is the oldest of the three cemeteries, the Old Hill Burying Ground. Comprised of nearly 500 graves Old Hill was the original burying ground for Concord residents after securing their settlement in 1635 (although the earliest existing stone is dated 1677).

The entrance is from Monument Square through the gate between St. Bernard’s Church and the "brick-end" house. According to local history, the burying ground was located was on land that could not be farmed, and because of its height, it was the first area to thaw in the spring. This thawing allowed for early burial of those who died during the winter and waited silently for a place in the warm earth.

Of the nearly 500 burial markers in Old Hill, the oldest belongs to Joseph Merriam who died April 20, 1677.

Of interest, is the grave of Major John Buttrick who led the fight at the North Bridge and died 16 years later, on May 16, 1791. His son, buried in the same family plot, was at the bridge as a fifer. Old Hill also contains the graves of 40 other veterans of the Revolution.

For more information visit the Old Hill Burying Ground page on the Concord City website.