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Central Burying Ground is located
within
Boston Common. This cemetery is the key place to look in Boston for
ghosts or spirits if one believes in such things.
In 1722, only one building stood on
the land that eventually became Central Burying Ground. The town purchased
the parcel in 1756 for use as a cemetery. From 1722 to 1780, it is likely
that many people were buried in unmarked graves here. It is also likely that
parts of current Boylston and Charles Streets were used as burial places, as
some historians assert that British soldiers were buried there in the winter
of 1775. Visitors, foreigners, and desperately poor citizens were buried at
Central Burying Ground. The cemetery was last used by Boston's early Roman
Catholics, mostly French and some Irish, from about 1800 to 1820.
By 1814, Boylston Street was laid
out, which became the southern boundary of Boston Common. In the 1830s,
Boylston Street Pedestrian Mall was constructed, which eliminated about 15
feet of the southern part of the burying ground. A row of brick tombs was
opened up during construction, and the mixed remains of those unclaimed by
descendents were placed into these open tombs. This part of the cemetery was
then just buried, with Boylston Mall placed over it.
During subway construction in 1895,
the human remains were re-discovered, and through careful examination it was
determined that about 900 bodies had been covered over. A mass grave was
placed in the cemetery at that time, which is delimited by three small
cornerstones and a large marker.
The poorest of Boston's citizens
were buried at Central Burying Ground. They died from terrible diseases,
under miserable conditions. Many children are buried here. The cemetery is a
somber place, and should be visited with great respect.
This author will now describe some
personal experiences at Central Burying Ground. In the early 1970s, the gate
of the cemetery was chained up, with the parcel somewhat overgrown with
vegetation. At dusk, from the Boston Common side, the cemetery looked like
Potter's Field in "It's A Wonderful Life." Thankfully, the burying ground
was subsequently cleaned up.
More recently, I visited Central
Burying Ground for the first time in many years. On entering the gate, I
felt a profound sense of sorrow. It felt like being in a crowded place, with
many people expressing a will to leave, but being unable to do so for some
reason. I was searching for a specific marker, and came across the stone of
three small children from the same family. I felt deep sorrow. I touched the
marker for a second, and said a few solemn words. I viewed more areas, but
before departing I returned to this children's marker in respect.
This author does not believe in
spirits, but can be superstitious. Each time I returned to Central, I
approached the children's marker on my arrival and departure. After several
visits, the sensation of entering the cemetery became almost that of
gladness; like seeing a lost friend after many years.
A final note. In March 2006, I
visited Central Burying Ground and experienced a sense of sorrow again.
There were patches of snow that day, and a dark overcast sky. I took a few
pictures, and left after paying my respects. Across Boylston Street a new
building was under construction. It was a 14-story dormitory building for
Emerson College, and was the first building constructed opposite the
cemetery in about 80 years. On April 4th 2006, a terrible accident occurred
at the site with a large scaffolding collapse, and 3 people tragically lost
their lives. I found it strange that I had a sense of sorrow not long before
this accident. The cemetery of course had nothing to do with the accident.
In recent years, the story of a
young "Girl Without A Face" ghost or spirit at Central Burying Ground has
surfaced, but this author cannot collaborate it with any old references.
This author must note that photographs at Central never seem to come out
right, and are either too dark or overexposed, mostly due to the shadow of
the trees or from nearby tall buildings of course. |
