Background and Initial Impressions

In the late 19th-century, the Boston Almhouse, adjacent to the Boston Common, was designed to house poor people and was considered to be a combination of a charity and a ghetto. Many residents came from the densely-populated North End. 

In this old map of Boston, it is easy to see the Boston or Roxbury Neck, which is the narrow strip of marshland that connects the then-peninsular city of Boston to the mainland city of Roxbury. As time progressed and the population expanded, the surrounding area was filled in. 

The picture captures a typical view a visitor might get of the South End Burying Ground through one of the gates. The main tombs and crypts are farther away from the streets, situated in the middle of the graveyard. 

The picture captures a typical view a visitor might get of the South End Burying Ground through one of the gates. The main tombs and crypts are farther away from the streets, situated in the middle of the graveyard. 

The South End Burying Ground is nestled in a quaint area in the South End and is surrounded by multiple buildings. Its main entrance, across from a few commercial buildings and the famous Flour Bakery, is located on the bustling Washington Street, which is one of the main arteries to other parts of Boston. Opened in 1810, it is situated on a "narrow strip of marshland" called Roxbury Neck and is near the tidewaters of South Boston Bay (1). Since it is so close to the South Boston Bay, there have been myths about pirates and other seafaring folks being buried here even though due to the lack of documentation, it is difficult to access the precise occupants of these graves (3). However, there are reports that indicate that this graveyard contains the remains of paupers and inmates from the Boston Almshouse and the House of Industry, suggesting that despite of the elegance of the site, it houses the graves of people from the less respectable and powerful parts of society.

When I first visited the South End Burying Ground, two particular details stuck out: the discreetness and sparseness of the site. First, what was particularly interesting is how inconspicuous the site is, for it was bordered on all four sides with imposing, grey, and concrete walls that obscured the view of the cemetery save for two black metal gates on the opposite sides of the site. It was so indiscreet that when my cab driver first dropped me off at my destination, I thought he had made a mistake because I could not spot the site from the street. Instead of an open graveyard that I envisioned, there was just a vast expanse of grey stones that composed the wall protecting the site that stretched for nearly an entire block. 

Works Cited

(1) http://www.cityofboston.gov/parks/hbgi/SouthEnd.asp

(3) http://www.interment.net/data/us/ma/suffolk/south-end-burying-ground.htm