Old Burying Ground, Lexington, Mass.

Old Burying Ground
99 Harrington Road

Lexington, Mass.

The old burying ground in Lexington can be found just west of Lexington Green, near the Unitarian Church on Harrington Road. A large boulder marks the narrow foot path which leads to the entrance of the cemetery.

The burial ground dates back to 1690 when this area was still part of Cambridge. It wasn't until 1710 that the town of Lexington became its own parish. At the time of the Revolution, Lexington was mostly dairy farms, providing milk for Boston.

Additional lots were added over the years increasing the size of the cemetery. In time several hundred of Lexington's citizens were buried here. Among those that can be found here are the grave sites of the Reverends John Hancock and Jonas Clarke, Captain John Parker and an unknown British soldier, who was wounded in the fighting on April 19, 1775. He died three days later while being cared for at Buckman Tavern, just across the Battle Green from here.

Lexington remained largely an agricultural town until well into the 20th century. With the construction of Route 128/95 after the Second World War, and the population shift into Boston's suburbs, Lexington became the prosperous bedroom community it is today.