Copp's Hill Burying Ground

This is Boston's second oldest burying ground, established in 1660, and was originally called the North Burying Place. Eventually named after a shoemaker, William Copp, who once owned the land. Located on a hill on which a windmill once stood, the land was given to the town. Take the time to read the epitaphs, as many are quaint although weathered with age. There is a small section of mostly unmarked graves on the Snowhill Street side that was reserved for Black persons, and sadly many of the markers were plundered in the 1860's for construction materials. Because of its height and panoramic vistas, the British used this vantage point to train their cannons on Charlestown during the Battle of Bunker Hill. You can also see bullet marks from sport shooting on some of the gravestones, from the time the British occupied Copp's Hill. This is one of the stops on Boston Freedom Trail and is located in the North End.