Elm Street Cemetary - Braintree, MA

The Elm Street Cemetery, located opposite the First Congregational Church in Braintree, MA, has a rich history dating back to the early 1700s, making it one of Massachusetts’ oldest burial sites. It is adorned with the notable family names of Braintree, such as Thayer, Hollis, Storrs, and French.

The cemetery witnessed its first burial a decade after the church’s establishment in 1707 – Mrs. Elizabeth Niles, the wife of Rev. Samuel Niles. According to Donohue’s report, she was the inaugural interment, followed by eight more burials that same year. Subsequently, Rev. Niles himself was laid to rest there. Throughout the 19th century, various alterations were made to the cemetery’s landscape and administration until the incorporation of the Braintree First Parish Cemetery Association in 1898, aimed at funding its maintenance.

Notable figures buried in the cemetery include Benjamin Vinton French, a co-founder of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, who passed away in 1860, and Gen. Sylvanus Thayer, one of the earliest superintendents of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, who died in 1872.

Formerly known as the Braintree Cemetery, the Elm Street Cemetery was deemed eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, although formal placement on the federal list has yet to be secured.

In 2007, funding was acquired to map the cemetery and conserve some of its deteriorating headstones. A preservation management plan was established, focusing on repairing the most critically damaged stones and implementing security measures to deter vandalism.