Entry No. 34 — the Boston file — filed under: cemetery

Eliot Burying Ground

Roxbury's oldest cemetery (dating to 1630, first burial 1633) sits on a roughly triangular 0.8-acre lot wedged into a busy intersection; the Dudley family tomb's original pewter memorial plate was cut out by American soldiers of the Roxbury camp during the 1775 Siege of Boston and melted into bullets, later replaced by a marble slab.

The move: Call the city's Parks Department 24 hours ahead to arrange access (it's normally gated), then walk the tightly packed 17th-century stones together and find the Dudley tomb where you can still see where the original pewter plaque — turned into ammunition — was later replaced with marble.

• 📍 Roxbury
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: Eustis Street & Washington Street, Roxbury, Boston, MA 02119

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

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: boston.gov · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-20