Gravestone Conservation in Copp's Hill Burying Ground

Originally called North Burying Ground, Copp’s Hill Burying Ground was the second place of internment on the Boston peninsula and was laid out in 1659. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Copp’s Hill Burying Ground occupied a site that terminated abruptly in a rugged cliff that was almost inaccessible from the Charles River. During the Revolution, the burying ground’s prominent location overlooking the harbor gave it strategic military importance and many have interpreted the round scars on the Captain Daniel Malcolm grave marker, a merchant who was well known throughout the Colony for his strident opposition to the Revenue Acts, as the result of musket balls shot at close range.

During the period from the Revolution through the early decades of the nineteenth century, the cemetery was neglected, but by the 1830s, City-led beautification projects began to transform the appearance of the burying ground. In later efforts to conform to the prevailing concepts of beautification and the design of green spaces, the City rearranged the gravestones in straight rows with footstones set directly behind the headstones, although not necessarily with the corresponding stone.

Used continually as a burying ground through the 1850s, Copp’s Hill is the final resting place of over 10,000 people, including some of Boston’s most well known historical figures as well as the thousands of free Blacks, enslaved people, artisans, craftspersons and tradespeople who represent the spectrum of those living in seventeenth and eighteenth century Boston. The site contains approximately 2,230 grave markers and the primary elements of New England gravestone style, death’s heads, winged cherubs, and urns and willows, are abundantly represented in this site.

Gravestone conservation at any site is tricky and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground is more challenging than most sites because of the difficulty of access. In addition to the 300 gravestones that had to be transported to the conservation studio, the conservator was tasked with removing and re-setting over one thousand markers, some which weigh over 200 pounds. Many of these gravestones are from the 1600s and 1700 and are fragile and irreplaceable, meaning conservators must exercise extreme caution while working. In all, approximately 300 gravestones received comprehensive conservation treatments and over one thousand markers were cleaned and re-set over the course of the project, spanning two phases from 2018 through 2024. The site as a whole has been refreshed without diminishing from its antique quality and the beauty of the space now motivates people to “lean in” to history, taking a closer look, learning more, and encouraging others to visit.

Owner/Developer of Project
Boston Parks and Recreation Department
General Contractor
Daedalus, Inc.

Project Team
Building and Monument Conservation
Community Preservation Act