Burying Ground Site
: In early European settlements in North America, these grounds functioned as some of the first public parks [22]. Families gathered for picnics, and children played among the markers, treating the space as a site for the living as much as a resting place for the dead [22].
The physical arrangement of a burying ground often reflects a culture’s core beliefs about the afterlife [6]. burying ground
: Many historic burying grounds have been "erased" from public memory by urban development [19]. Remains are frequently discovered by accident during construction projects, as seen with the 18th-century Black graveyard found under a home in Georgetown [30] or utility work in Portsmouth [24]. : In early European settlements in North America,
Historically, burying grounds were viewed as public or common spaces rather than private commercial enterprises [1]. : Many historic burying grounds have been "erased"