Granary Burying Ground

In the late afternoon, I wandered the narrow streets of historic Boston.  The lanes were crowded with taxis and cars, horns honking.  People in suits and shorts filled the sidewalks.  Buildings were a mixture of architectural styles -- classical, art deco, post modern. 


The sun was setting as I passed an old red brick building nestled among office towers.  A sign identified the Old State House where the Declaration of Independence was first read from a balcony to the citizens below.  Handmade bricks were patched in places and at the top of the facade, a lion and unicorn posed with a gilded clock.  On the roof, a white spire was capped with a small gold dome.



The Old State House is now a museum.  The white balcony no longer looks over a public gathering spot, but a busy traffic intersection, with electric lights and signs, and an unending stream of cars.


Nearby a plaque marks the location of the Boston Massacre.


Several blocks away, beside Park Street Church is the Granary Burying Ground, established in 1660, the final resting place of key people from the colonial period, including Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock.  Five victims of the Boston Massacre are buried here, including Crispus Attucks.



It was twilight as we passed the burying ground and the metal gates were locked. Under tall trees, the dim light respected the wishes of the departed for a peaceful resting spot.

The burying ground is four feet above street level and from where we stood, we could read the names of notable people.


Benjamin Franklin's parents and other relatives are buried here, although Ben himself lies in Philadelphia.  The family erected this oblisk in 1827 in their honor.

The headstone in the foreground is for John Phillips, the first mayor of the city of Boston.  As we watched, a flock of small brown birds swooped down and dove into the sandy soil near the headstone, splashing the dust around their feathers.

James Otis, revolutionary war patriot is buried here.  As is Mary Goose, writer of children's poems, commonly known as Mother Goose.



The Old Town Trolley Tour made a bus stop in a cloud of diesel fuel.  Tourists filed onto the narrow street to view the final destination of a group of Bostonians who created a nation that grew to be richer and more powerful than any other.