Burial Hill

Rising above Town Square at the upper end of Leyden Street, Burial Hill is one of Plymouth’s most significant historic places. Its elevation provides a commanding view of the harbor, the waterfront, and the route of the town’s first street. That view explains why the settlers initially used the hill for defense rather than burial.

A fort was constructed on the hill in 1621–1622, with cannon placed on its roof to protect the settlement below. The lower level also served as a meetinghouse where residents gathered for worship and public business. For several decades, Burial Hill was therefore at the center of Plymouth’s military, religious, and civic life.

After the fortifications were no longer needed, the hill became Plymouth’s principal burial ground. The earliest graves were probably marked with wood or simple stones that have not survived. The oldest remaining carved gravestone belongs to Edward Gray, who died in 1681. Other early stones preserve the names and stories of generations who lived in Plymouth after the colony’s founding.

Among those buried on Burial Hill are Governor William Bradford, Governor Thomas Prence, and William and Mary Brewster. Some of the monuments honoring Plymouth’s earliest settlers were erected long after their deaths, reflecting later efforts to identify and preserve the town’s history. The cemetery continued to receive burials until 1957 and today contains more than 2,000 surviving grave markers.

Burial Hill is more than an old cemetery. From its paths, visitors can still see the relationship between the harbor, Leyden Street, Town Square, and the hill that shaped the original settlement. The fort and meetinghouse have disappeared, but the ground continues to preserve centuries of Plymouth history and the lives of those who helped build the community.