The Haunted Granary Burying Ground

Posted: 11.15.2024 | Updated: 11.15.2024

Granary Burying Ground is the third oldest cemetery in the city of Boston. Located in the heart of town next to Boston Common, Granary Burying Ground has 2,345 headstones and grave markers dating back to the 1600s. However, most Bostonians know that’s not how many people are buried in the cemetery. The actual number of people buried in Granary Burying Ground is much higher, with more than five thousand bodies thought to be buried in all manner throughout the sprawling cemetery. With so many unmarked graves and displaced bodies, it’s no wonder that Granary Burying Ground has developed a reputation as one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States.

Who Haunts the Granary Burying Ground?

Granary Burying Ground welcomes a million visitors each year. The cemetery’s age and reputation for being extremely haunted make it a destination for history buffs and ghost hunters alike. The cemetery is the final resting place for some of the founding fathers, a judge from the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, and countless individuals whose graves long ago lost their markers. As a result, all manner of hauntings have been witnessed, photographed, and recorded within the walls of Granary Burying Ground. 

As one of the oldest cities in the United States, there’s no shortage of ghostly tales in Boston. Booking a Boston ghost tour with Boston Ghosts will give you an immersive experience of the city and its many hauntings. Book your tour today!

History of the Granary Burying Ground

Located on Tremont Street, Granary Burying Ground opened in 1660, 30 years after the completion of Boston’s oldest cemetery, King’s Chapel Burying Ground, located just a block away and only a year after Copp’s Hill Burying Ground was completed. Originally named the South Burying Ground, Granary Burying Ground was part of Boston Common.

As a result, livestock would regularly trespass onto the land and eat the grass. The cemetery was first expanded in 1717 and again in 1737. At this time, it was renamed Granary Burying Ground in reference to the large grain building next to the cemetery, which was torn down to construct Park Street Church, which still stands.

The cemetery was originally operated by the Puritans, who did not believe in any sort of religious iconography. Instead, they went with a headstone design known as the “Soul Effigy,” which is the well-known image of a skull framed by two angel wings. Throughout the cemetery, headstones are known to also include images of the Grim Reaper, along with less unsettling visuals such as poems and epitaphs. 

Notable People & Graves

Granary Burying Ground is the final resting place of numerous historical figures and their families, which has earned it the name the “Westminster Abbey of Boston.” Three signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine, are interred at the cemetery. 

The parents of founding father Benjamin Franklin are also buried there. A massive obelisk in the center of the cemetery marks their resting place. Paul Revere is buried at the cemetery, and his grave is notable for having two headstones. The first was a simple slate marker, but given how Revere has become an integral part of American folklore, a larger monument was placed on his grave in the 19th century. 

The cemetery also houses the grave of a pivotal figure in the Salem Witch Trials. Judge Samuel Sewall was one of nine judges who presided over the cases of those accused of witchcraft in Salem in 1692. Unlike the other eight judges, Sewall publicly apologized for his role in the death of innocent people. In 1700, Sewall wrote the first known anti-slavery text in America. In addition to his public writings, Sewall is known for keeping a detailed journal for most of his life, including during the Salem Witch Trials.

On March 5, 1770, a deadly riot broke out that would become known as the Boston Massacre. The riot began outside the Custom House on King Street, where the king’s gold was being held. Colonists unhappy with the British government began harassing a British guard, and the argument quickly got out of hand. British soldiers ended up shooting and killing five colonists, sparking a fresh wave of anti-British sentiment in the colonies. The five victims were buried alongside one another in the cemetery.

The Hauntings at the Granary Burying Ground

Having been visited by millions of people and investigated by countless ghost hunters over the years, there is a wealth of documented hauntings at Granary Burying Ground. One of the most common sightings is orbs and floating lights that appear throughout the cemetery. In some cases, visitors have spotted shadow figures roaming between the headstones and even full-body apparitions in some instances.

Advancements in modern technology mean that there are more than just firsthand accounts of ghostly sightings at the cemetery. Ghost hunters have recorded EVPs at the cemetery and even captured apparitions on film. EMF readers are also known to show bizarre fluctuations in the electromagnetic field, which is believed to indicate the presence of a ghost.

The Tragic Story of James Otis Jr.

The most famous ghost in Granary Burying Ground is James Otis Jr. A successful lawyer in the Colonial era, Otis suffered a head trauma during a bar fight when another man smashed a bottle over Otis’s head. It’s said that the injury negatively affected his mental state, and he fell into a depression that he would never recover from. In fact, Otis wrote a letter to God asking to be killed by a bolt of lightning. The letter proved prophetic, for Otis died after being struck by lightning not long after. Otis was buried in the cemetery and has been seen by visitors ever since. He typically manifests wearing the Colonial-style clothing he may have been buried in.

Haunted Boston

Although there are many cemeteries in Boston, there is none quite like Granary Burying Ground. Filled with Revolutionary War heroes, victims of tragedies, and unquiet spirits, the cemetery vibrates with the echoes of the past. 

If learning about Boston’s dark side sounds like your idea of a good time, be sure to book a ghost tour with Boston Ghosts today and step into the city’s haunting past. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Massachusetts hauntings.

Sources:

https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/trail-sites/granary-burying-ground

https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/boston-massacre