Old North Cemetery (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
Setting
Old North Cemetery is located north of downtown Portsmouth, on the southwest side of Maplewood Avenue. It is bounded on the southeast by a railroad yard, and the northwest by Union Cemetery. To the west it borders a portion of the North Mill Pond. This setting is in stark contrast to its historical surroundings. At the time of its founding, it was essentially laid out on a peninsula, and the pond was more of a tidal inlet of the Piscataqua River. Its present surroundings are the result of intensive development and redevelopment in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Description
The cemetery is in a nearly rectangular irregular shape, about 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) in size. The land slopes down toward the water, and has a number of hillocks, most of which are topped by graves. It is separated from Union Cemetery by a row of trees, and from the railroad yard by a chain link fence. A low retaining wall separates it from Maplewood Avenue.
History
The site was first used as a cemetery in 1751, and was formally acquired by the city in 1753. It was not its first cemetery, which was located near present-day Mechanic Street. It is the largest of those laid out in the 18th century, built to address increased demand in the growing community. It soon became a favored burying ground, and a number of locally and nationally prominent figures are interred there.
Notable burials
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- Dr. Ammi Ruhamah Cutter (1735–1820), Physician General of the Continental Army
- John Langdon, governor of New Hampshire, one of the first two U.S. senators from the state and signer of the US Constitution
- Woodbury Langdon, merchant, delegate from New Hampshire to Continental Congress, New Hampshire Superior Court justice, brother of John Langdon
- Prince Whipple, slave, freed by William Whipple in 1781
- William Whipple, signer of U.S. Declaration of Independence, brigadier general in New Hampshire Militia
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Old North Cemetery". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-10-27.
- ^ "Historic Portsmouth Cemeteries". SeacoastNH.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.