Granary Burying Ground undergoes over $250k worth of renovations

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and other city officials visited the city’s Granary Burying Ground to take in some new renovations at the historic cemetery, part of the city’s Freedom Trail path.

“Boston’s Freedom Trail is an important landmark for our City and region,” Walsh said in a statement. “These improvement projects will make the Freedom Trail more accessible, and will help guide residents and visitors to Boston’s popular historic treasures over the coming years.”

The changes, a project spearheaded by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s Historic Burying Ground Initiative, aimed to restore the park’s entryway, which dates back to 1840.

The work included the removal of the entire 315-foot fence surrounding the cemetery, the removal of rust and paint, as well as a thorough repainting. Cracks in the granite wall were repaired, and a missing chunk of granite was replaced, as were other bricks under the granite wall.

The year-long project was completed by landscape architect Kyle Zick.

The $283,585 project was funded with various grants from local parks and preservation organizations, a statement from the mayor’s office said.

Built in 1660, the Granary is the city’s most visited historic burying ground, with over one million annual visitors, with graves for colonial patriots like Sam Adams, John Hancock and James Otis.