Ancient Burying Ground

Address 60 Gold Street, Hartford, CT

Hartford's Ancient Burying Ground was established in 1640 and is the oldest surviving historic site in the city. It sits tucked behind the First Church of Christ on Gold Street, easily missed amid the surrounding downtown buildings. The oldest legible gravestone dates to 1648, and the limestone slabs that remain are carved with the winged skulls, hourglasses, and allegorical figures typical of colonial New England burial art.

The ground is small — barely an acre — but contains an estimated 6,000 interments, most of which have no surviving markers. The people buried here include the founders of Hartford and notable figures from the city's first century of existence. A walking guide is available from the First Church; the ground is open daily and free to visit. This is one of those quiet places that rewards five minutes of attention rather than a rushed glance.

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The Ancient Burying Ground is Hartford's oldest public space, established in 1640 — the same year the city was founded. The oldest surviving gravestone dates to 1648. Beneath the grass and limestone slabs lie thousands of bodies stacked in layers, many with no marker above them. A colonial city's entire first century is buried here, a block from the modern downtown.

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