Entry No. 19 — the Boston file — filed under: cemetery

Central Burying Ground

Established in 1756 to relieve overcrowding at Boston's other graveyards, this cemetery holds painter Gilbert Stuart in an unmarked grave — and a mass grave in its northwest corner built in 1895 after subway workers digging the Tremont Street tunnel under Boylston Street unearthed hundreds of forgotten coffins and had to rebury the remains on site.

The move: Cut across the Common to the burying ground on Boylston Street and find the small marker explaining the 1895 subway dig — then try to guess which unmarked plot holds Gilbert Stuart, the man who painted the portrait of Washington that's on the dollar bill.

• 📍 Boston Common
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: Boylston Street, Boston Common, Boston, MA 02116

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: boston.gov · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-20