Cemeteries
Charter Street Cemetery This is the oldest burying ground in Salem, and was occupied before 1637. see Charter Street Burial Ground
Broad Street Cemetery This cemetery was commenced about 1655.
Howard Street Cemetery This cemetery was commenced about 1801. see Howard Street Cemetery
Greenlawn Cemetery was originally laid out in 1807, and originally contained about two and a half acres. In 1864 about 6 acres were added to the former reservation. A soldier's lot of eight thousand feet was set apart in 1872. see Greenlawn Cemetery
Harmony Grove Cemetery, near the Peabody line, the largest and newest cemetery, is comprised of about 65 acres. It was founded in 1840 as a private, non-profit cemetery by four established Salem families. Some of the area's most prominent families, including the Saltonstalls, Phillipses and Endicotts are buried here. see Harmony Grove Cemetery
St. Mary's Cemetery in North Salem, or the Roman Catholic burial ground is next to St. Thomas Church on North St. It was established in 1849.
St. Peter's Church Cemetery St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery Partial list of internments.
The Quaker Burying-ground, at 396 Essex Street, occupies a lot of land adjoining the site of an old Quaker church. Also known as the "Friends" cemetery, this dates from 1718.
A new group was formed in 2017 to protect our most vulnerable cemeteries, Charter Street, Broad Street and Howard Street Cemeteries. The group is named Friends of the Downtown Salem Historic Cemeteries.
- If you are interested in finding out if a person is buried in one of the 5 city cemeteries, the Cemetery Dept. can be reached at (978) 745-0195.
See Also
- Vertical file in Salem Collection - Cemeteries
- Our Silent Neighbors: a Study in Gravestones in the Olde Salem Area by B. Bouchard, p. 8-21
