The Old Burying Ground
October 21st, 2007
We decided to take a walk down to the old burying ground on Main St. We had been down here over the summer but I thought it might be nice to revisit in October with the foliage going and it really was pretty.
I like this cemetery because it has some really old graves. I was thinking this might have been the first burying ground in Framingham but there is a marker that states it was the site of the first school house.  I don’t know if the school shared the space with graves at any point but maybe I’ll look it up sometime.
There is a gated section for members of the Buckminster Family.Â
This is where one of the more interesting graves belonging to Joan Buckminster Marcy is. Of course now I’m curious about her.Â
This place (despite being so close to route 9) is a quiet, peaceful place to walk around and get a sense of Framingham’s history by looking at how old some of the stones are and checking out the engraving techniques and language used to describe people. If nothing else it’s just nice to walk around and look at the trees too.
Michelle - I love this post!
Here is some more about the schoolhouse: http://books.google.com/books?id=QUIOAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA75&lpg=RA1-PA75&dq=first+school+house+framingham+1716&source=web&ots=gbD_Ho8MvF&sig=vz-zg4Ds-MEVmfj06818fWm3-BQ#PRA1-PA75,M1
Comment by Kim C. — October 21, 2007 @ 2:46 pm
Michelle, you continue to do an incredible job with this project! The site is so interesing, creative and fun! Great pictures to go with the wonderful dialogue/info….love this latest post!
Comment by Karen — October 22, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
I took a course on the “material culture of death” as an undergrad; it’s amazing how much one can learn about a society by studying the way the culture deals with death. If you’re interested in historic graveyards and stonecarving traditions, I suggest checking out “Graven Images: New England Stonecarving and its Symbols, 1650-1815″ by Allen Ludwig. Another interesting book, related to gravestone conservation techniques, is “A Graveyard Preservation Primer” by Lynette Strangstad. Feel free to contact me if you’re looking for more resources. And please keep us posted on your findings!
I absolutely love reading your blog; I spent a substantial portion of my childhood in Framingham, and your musings really take me back.
Keep up the great work, Michelle!
Comment by Kat — October 23, 2007 @ 2:43 pm