Historic Medford Square Graveyard Spruced Up

About a quarter of the 400+ tombstones located in the historic Salem Street Burial Ground in Medford Square have received a facelift this summer, thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. The stones were cleared of dirt and other debris and the inscriptions are now visible. In addition, damaged or cracked stones were repaired. The cemetery, acquired by Medford in 1717, is the final resting place for veterans from both the Revolutionary and American Civil wars as well as slaves, who were mostly placed in unmarked graves. The oldest tombstone is from 1683 (pictured above, left) and the last burial took place in 1881, according to information from the Medford Public Library. Transcriptions of the graves are available at the Medford Public Library, the Medford Historical Society, and online at Findagrave.com.

– InsideMedford.com