Copp’s Hill Burying Ground is a cemetery you can visit in Boston with your cheap car rental. It was founded in 1659 when the town bought land on Copp’s Hill to start the “North Burying Ground” It has since been renamed Copp’s Burying Ground, although it is also commonly referred to as Copp’s Hill Burial Ground as well. This is the second oldest cemetery in Boston and is the final resting place of notable Bostonians from the colonial era.

Where you will find it

When you visit with your Boston cheap rental car, you will find the cemetery on Copp’s Hill, which can be found in the North End of Boston. Copp’s Hill is bordered by Hull Street, Charter Street, and Snow Hill Street. The English settlers arrived here in the 1630s and built a windmill on the hill to grind grain. During the Revolutionary War, the hill was used by the British to train artillery onto Charlestown. In the 1800s, soil was taken from the hill to reclaim land by filling in Mill Pond, which reduced the height of the hill by 7 feet. While you are up here, you can see many local landmarks, including The Old North Church, the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, and the TD Banknorth Garden can all be easily seen.

Visiting the Burying Ground

When you are here with your cheap car rental Boston, you can visit one of the oldest cemeteries in the area. People who are buried here include William Copp’s children, Cotton Mater, Robert Newman, Prince Hall, and many others. On the Snow Hill Street side of the burying ground, you will find many unmarked graves of the African Americans that lived in the “New Guinea” community that was once located at the foot of the hill.

Exploring the area

When you are here with your cheap rental car Boston, you will find Copp’s Burying Ground is part of the Freedom Trail, which is a path through downtown Boston that ill take you to 16 significant historic places in the area. It is interesting to note that Copp’s Burying Ground was not part of the official stops on the Freedom Trail when it was created in 1951, but it was added at a later time. This is a very popular spot for tourists and photographers to stop at and explore. Other stops on the trail include Boston Common, Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King’s Chapel, King’s Chapel Burying Ground, Benjamin Franklin Statue, Old Corner Bookstore, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Site of the Boston Massacre, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, Bunker Hill Monument, and the USS Constitution.

Still looking for more?

If you are interested in learning more about African American history when you are here with your Boston cheap car rental, you can also explore the Black Heritage Trail, which crosses paths with the Freedom Trail. Massachusetts was the first state to outlaw slavery in 1783. After that, a community of free blacks and escaped slaves developed in the area, settling on the north face of Beacon Hill and in the North End. The Black Heritage Trail links 15 pre-Civil War structures and historic sites including the 54th Regiment Memorial, African Meeting House, Abiel Smith School, Charles Street Meeting House, John Coburn House, Lewis and Harriet Hayden House, George Middleton House, Phillips School, Smith Court Residences, and the John J. Smith House.

When you are in town with your cheap car rental in Boston, you can enjoy many of the historic sites that are located in the downtown area.