Boston Freedom Trail

5. King’s Chapel & Burying Ground

Boston, MA

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The King’s Chapel burying ground was founded in 1630, making it the oldest cemetery in Boston. Kings Chapel was designed by Peter Harrison and built on land taken from the burying ground. King James II ordered an Anglican parish to be built in Boston to insure the presence of the Church of England in America. However, the colonists were not interested in selling any suitable land for the Church, and escaped the kings order through a legal zoning loophole, so the King ordered Governor Andros to seize a corner of the burying ground for the Church of England. While you’re here, look for some of the famous gravestones! They include Massachusetts’s first governor, John Winthrop; the father of Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Emerson; the founder of Harvard University, Dr. Comfort Star; and Paul Revere’s friend William Dawes. Many soldiers killed in action while fighting in the revolutionary war are laid to rest here, a humbling reminder of the city’s importance and the people’s sacrifices in the war for independence. The chapel holds an independent Christian Unitarian congregation.