To the editor:
As spring begins to reveal itself in its fitful New England fashion, the Old Burial Hill Committee is busy looking ahead to warmer temperatures and another interesting round of restorations planned for this summer. Last summer, we completed several important restorations, including reinstating two gravestones — those of Jane Waters (c. 1698) and Archibald Selman (1778) — that had been held off site for years after the stones had broken into pieces. The Archibald Selman stone can be found on the north side of the brick path leading from the entrance on Orne Street and the Jane Waters stone is next to her mother’s stone by Redd’s Pond. These repairs were made possible by the generosity of many Headers — most notably Biff Michaud and Standley Goodwin, both of whom made significant contributions to the preservation of Old Burial Hill in 2024.
In 2025, we hope to continue our work of repairing and preserving Old Burial Hill’s important monuments, including repointing the Story tomb (c. 1853) and repairing many broken gravestones. However, the most exciting project for 2025 will undoubtedly be returning the gravestone of “Agnis Negro”, an enslaved Black woman who died in 1718. This historically significant gravestone was stolen from Old Burial Hill approximately 50 years ago and long thought permanently lost. However, due to the efforts of the Marblehead Racial Justice Team, which led an effort to learn more about Agnes’s life and fund the creation of a reproduction gravestone, the original stone was remarkably returned. We are thrilled by this important recovery.
Thank you to all who attended our fundraising night generously hosted by The Landing Restaurant, and thank you to Frances Nilsson who gave a fascinating talk on what we know about Agnes and how her gravestone was recovered. And thank you so much to Rick Broughton and Brian Ware — their two-musician act, the Melody Makers, provided truly beautiful music for the evening. (Rick plays a Tippin acoustic guitar and Brian plays a Tippin ukulele, both of which are made right here in Marblehead; contact Rick for info on the Melody Makers: 781-576-0132).
The preservation of Old Burial Hill’s monuments is entirely donor-funded. Sustaining and growing the support of a generous donor base is one of the key missions of the Old Burial Hill Committee. For those who would like to donate, please make a check payable to the Town of Marblehead with “Old Burial Hill Preservation Fund” in the memo line. Checks can be sent to Abbot Hall at 188 Washington Street, Marblehead, Mass. 01945.
Finally, for those of you who have not strolled through Old Burial Hill recently, we encourage you to take a moment sometime this spring to wander there for a bit — it is a captivating place that we’re lucky to have.
With gratitude,
Alex Finigan,
Old Burial Hill Committee chair
