Mount Hope Cemetery is a historic

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

in southern Boston, Massachusetts, between the neighborhoods of

Roslindale Roslindale is a primarily residential neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, bordered by Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, West Roxbury and Mattapan. It is served by an MBTA Commuter Rail line, several MBTA bus lines and the MBTA Orange Line in nearby J ...

and

Mattapan Mattapan () is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. Historically a section of neighboring Dorchester, Mattapan became a part of Boston when Dorchester was annexed in 1870. Mattapan is the original Native American name for the Dorchester ar ...

Description and history

Mount Hope was established in 1852 as a private cemetery, and was acquired by the city five years later. It was the city's first cemetery to be laid out in the

rural cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-nineteenth century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries. They were typically built one to five ...

style, with winding lanes. It was at first in size; it was enlarged by the addition of in 1929. Its main entrance is on Walk Hill Street, on the northern boundary. The cemetery's office building was designed by Boston architect James Mulcahy. The cemetery was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on September 25, 2009. In May 2020, the remains of fifty victims of infectious diseases, including smallpox, typhus, yellow fever, syphilis, and other diseases, were removed from the cemetery on

Gallops Island Gallops Island, also known as Gallups Island, is an island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. It is situated between Georges Island and Long Island, and is just over from downtown Boston. The island has a permanent size of , pl ...

in Boston Harbor where they were threatened by storm damage and reinterred in the Graceland section of Mount Hope. Their identities are unknown; they died between 1871 and 1902 and the fifty include people of African, Asian, and European origin. In October 2021, a new memorial headstone for African American Civil War nurse Susie King Taylor was dedicated in a ceremony sponsored by the Massachusetts

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is an American congressionally chartered fraternal organization that carries out activities to preserve the history and legacy of the United States Armed Forces veterans who fought during the Civil ...

and attended by Boston mayor

Kim Janey Kim Michelle Janey (born May 16, 1965) is an American politician who served as acting mayor of Boston for eight months in 2021. She served as president of the Boston City Council from 2020 to 2022, and as a member of the council from the 7th dist ...

. Originally, the grave marker only contained her second husband's name, Russell Taylor (1854-1901); cemetery records indicate that she was buried with him in 1912. The new stone includes Taylor's name as well as an inscription of her likeness.

Notable interments

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

recipients ** David J. Campbell (1874–1955), Spanish-American War ** Leonard Chadwick (1878–1940), Spanish-American War ** Henry Hendrickson (1862–1912), Spanish-American War ** Frank Elmer Smith (1864–1943), China Relief Expedition ** William Spicer (1864–1949), Spanish-American War * Other noted persons ** George Dixon (1870–1908), first Canadian and first black world boxing champion. ** Gottlieb Graupner (1767–1836), musician ** The Grimké sisters ***

Angelina Grimké Angelina Emily Grimké Weld (February 20, 1805 – October 26, 1879) was an American abolitionist, political activist, women's rights advocate, and supporter of the women's suffrage movement. She and her sister Sarah Moore Grimké were co ...

(1805–1879), abolitionist and women's rights advocate *** Sarah Moore Grimké (1792–1873), abolitionist and women's right advocate ** Rudolf Haffenreffer (1847–1929), German-American brewer **

Roland Hayes Roland Wiltse Hayes (June 3, 1887 – January 1, 1977) was an American lyric tenor and composer. Critics lauded his abilities and linguistic skills demonstrated with songs in French, German, and Italian. Hayes's predecessors as well-known Afr ...

(1887–1977), lyric tenor, first African American to sing at Carnegie Hall ** Will “Cannonball” Jackman (1895–1972), Negro League baseball player ** Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson (died 1976), American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. ** Abrey Kamoo (1815–1904), Tunisian-born American physician and Civil War nurse ** John Edward Kelly (1839–1884), Irish Revolutionary ** Michael "King" Kelly (1857–1894), Hall of Fame baseball player ** Thomas W. Piper (1849–1876), Canadian-born serial killer "The Boston Belfry Murderer" ** Susie King Taylor (1848–1912), first African American to teach openly in a school for former slaves, first black Army nurse ** Mary Ella Waller (1855–1938), novelist **

Theodore Dwight Weld Theodore Dwight Weld (November 23, 1803 – February 3, 1895) was one of the architects of the American abolitionist movement during its formative years from 1830 to 1844, playing a role as writer, editor, speaker, and organizer. He is best known ...

(1803–1895), abolitionist

References

External links

* * Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Cemeteries in Boston National Register of Historic Places in Boston Cemeteries established in the 1850s 1852 establishments in Massachusetts Mattapan, Boston {{Boston-struct-stub

Description and history

Notable interments

See also

References

External links