Milk Row Cemetery

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Milk Row Cemetery

| nrhp_type =

| image = Old Somerville Cemetery.jpg

| caption =

| location = Somerville, Massachusetts

| coordinates = {{coord|42|22|54|N|71|06|07|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Massachusetts#USA

| area =

| built = 1804

| architect =

| architecture =

| added = September 18, 1989

| mpsub = Somerville MPS

| refnum = 89001301{{NRISref|2008a}}

}}

File:Elm Tree at Milk Row Cemetery in Somerville, MA - August 2019.jpgThe Old Cemetery, also known as the Milk Row Cemetery, is a historic cemetery on Somerville Avenue and School Street in Somerville, Massachusetts. Established in 1804 on land donated by Samuel Tufts, it is the city's oldest cemetery. The cemetery was established when Somerville was still a part of Charlestown, and many Somerville residents used that city's Phipps Street Burying Ground, and later the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge instead of this one. As a result, this cemetery remained small, and was the only one established within the city limits in the 19th century.

The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

File:MilkRow Cemetery GhostsOfSomerville.jpg

File:Milk Row Cemetery Civil War monument.jpg

File:John Lealand grave.jpg

The city of Somerville opens the Cemetery for tours during the spring through early fall, and holds a special event called "Ghosts of Somerville{{Cite web |title=Ghosts of Somerville 2006-2010 |url=https://www.somervillemuseum.org/ghosts-of-somerville-20062010 |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=Somerville Museum |language=en-US}}" in concert with the annual Halloween Monster Mash event. Costumed guides accompany visitors through some of the historically relevant graves, which includes one of an unknown British soldier of the Revolutionary War era that was discovered and relocated during nearby street reconstruction.

Civil War monument

The American Civil War monument, erected in 1863, is reputed to be one of the first in the nation.{{cite web|url=https://mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=smv.800|title=NRHP nomination for Old Cemetery|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=2014-03-04}} Inscriptions around the base include text to honor the service of the SLI, or Somerville Light Infantry, as well as the names of soldiers fallen in the war.{{Cite web |title=The Civil War Monument |url=https://www.somervillemuseum.org/historic-somerville/blog-post-title-three-9lk5p |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=Somerville Museum |language=en-US}} The monument was built under the supervision of a committee of the Somerville Light Infantry, and funded by donations. Names and regiments are engraved on the monument, but the list is incomplete.{{Cite web |last=Browne |first=Patrick |date=2018-07-07 |title=Somerville |url=https://macivilwarmonuments.com/2018/07/07/somerville/ |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=Massachusetts Civil War Monuments Project |language=en-US}} The lot in the cemetery was a gift of Enoch Robinson, and the monument was manufactured by Power & Hall, manufacturers of marble goods of Boston. That firm's junior partner, Charles E. Hall, was a Somerville resident.Reports of the School Committee, Selectmen, Treasurer, and Collector of Taxes, of the Town of Somerville, for the Year Ending March 1, 1864 (Somerville: Town of Somerville, 1864) That same firm created a Civil War monument for Hampden, Maine the following year.[https://www.maine.gov/civilwar/monuments/hampden.html Maine Civil War Monuments: Hampden]

References

External links

[https://macivilwarmonuments.com/2018/07/07/somerville/ Somerville Civil War Monuments] from "Massachusetts Civil War Monuments Project"

Category:Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts

Category:Buildings and structures in Somerville, Massachusetts

Category:Cemeteries in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Category:National Register of Historic Places in Somerville, Massachusetts

Milk Row Cemetery

Civil War monument

See also

References

External links