Assonet Burying Ground
Encyclopedia
The Assonet Burying Ground is the main public cemetery
for Freetown, Massachusetts
.
Prior to becoming a cemetery, the land occupied by the Assonet Burying Ground was used as a military musterfield for the southeastern Massachusetts
area. The cemetery is 25 acres (101,171.5 m²), the first 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) having been acquired by the town from Benedict and Thomas Andros in 1864, despite burials dating back to the late 18th century. The remaining 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) were acquired from the heirs of Wallace T. Reynolds in 1956. Remains from two other cemeteries were moved to the Assonet Burying Ground, one cemetery having been disestablished, and the other having been reduced in size.
The entrance to the cemetery is on South Main Street, marked by two stone gate
s erected sometime prior to 1954. Near the entrance to the main cemetery is an abandoned receiving tomb
, built of granite
into the side of an earthen mound in 1892. East of the receiving tomb is a brick
mausoleum
, and on the northern edge of the cemetery is a tool shed
built prior to 1910.
The cemetery is bounded on the north by the Assonet River
, on the south by a residential subdivision, on the east by MA 24, and on the west by MA 79. The cemetery is at the southern extreme of the Assonet Historic District
.
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
for Freetown, Massachusetts
Freetown, Massachusetts
Freetown is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,870 at the 2010 census.Freetown is one of the oldest communities in the United States, having been settled by the Pilgrims and their descendants in the latter half of the 17th century. The town once included...
.
Prior to becoming a cemetery, the land occupied by the Assonet Burying Ground was used as a military musterfield for the southeastern Massachusetts
Southeastern Massachusetts
Southeastern Massachusetts is a term that refers to those portions of Massachusetts which are, by their proximity, economically and culturally linked to Providence, Rhode Island as well as Boston.-Definition:...
area. The cemetery is 25 acres (101,171.5 m²), the first 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) having been acquired by the town from Benedict and Thomas Andros in 1864, despite burials dating back to the late 18th century. The remaining 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) were acquired from the heirs of Wallace T. Reynolds in 1956. Remains from two other cemeteries were moved to the Assonet Burying Ground, one cemetery having been disestablished, and the other having been reduced in size.
The entrance to the cemetery is on South Main Street, marked by two stone gate
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
s erected sometime prior to 1954. Near the entrance to the main cemetery is an abandoned receiving tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
, built of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
into the side of an earthen mound in 1892. East of the receiving tomb is a brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
, and on the northern edge of the cemetery is a tool shed
Shed
A shed is typically a simple, single-storey structure in a back garden or on an allotment that is used for storage, hobbies, or as a workshop....
built prior to 1910.
The cemetery is bounded on the north by the Assonet River
Assonet River
The Assonet River is located in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It flows in a westerly direction through Freetown and joins the Taunton River near Assonet Neck in Berkley, Massachusetts. -Description:...
, on the south by a residential subdivision, on the east by MA 24, and on the west by MA 79. The cemetery is at the southern extreme of the Assonet Historic District
Assonet Historic District
Assonet Historic District is a historic district and village roughly bounded by MA 24, a private Lane, Conrail Railroad Tracks, and High Street in Assonet, Massachusetts.The district was added to the National Historic Register in 1999.-Properties:...
.
Notable burials
- Maj. John M. DeaneJohn M. DeaneJohn Milton Deane , was an American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient and a major in the United States Army.-Biography:...
, recipient of the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for action during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25... - Gen. Ebenezer W. PeirceEbenezer W. PeirceEbenezer Weaver Peirce , was a brigadier general in the Massachusetts militia, serving as 90–day volunteers in the Union Army in the opening months of the American Civil War, and a colonel of the 29th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the Union Army between December 1861 and July...
, Civil War officer, local historian, and author - Mrs. Damaris Jones, wife of Elder Abner JonesAbner JonesAbner Jones , also known as Elder Abner Jones, was a minister and early church reformer in the United States.-Early life:...