THIS IS THE gravestone of Elizabeth Bancroft in the Old Burying Ground.
WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield Historical Society invites the public to celebrate Hallowe’en the old fashioned way, with a step back into the past to visit the Old Burying Ground on Church Street.
The Old Burying Ground, established in 1689, is the final resting place of many of the town’s first residents. Gravestones from the earliest town cemetery were moved to this location. Perhaps the truest testament to the memory of these early settlers, the old stones hold a record of their hopes and dreams as well as their sorrows.
The cemetery is no less than an outdoor museum with examples of stone sculpture dating to the 17th century. Some of the gravestones here are considered by scholars to rank with the pre-eminent examples of Puritan gravestone art.
The Historical Society’s annual free walking tour of the Old Burying Ground will allow visitors a glimpse into the world of the town’s early settlers and will be led by Nancy Bertrand.
The tour will begin near the First Parish Congregational Church (the stone church near the Lake) on Friday, Oct. 24, at 5:15 p.m.
For more information, visit https://www.wakefieldhistory.org, e-mail wakefieldhistory@gmail.com or call 781-246-3070. In case of inclement weather, the tour will be rescheduled.
