Founded in 1660, as Boston's third oldest cemetery, and named after a granary building that had once occupied the Park Street Church site, the Old Granary Burial Grounds were once part of Boston Common. It was originally known as the South Burying Grounds until its name was changed in 1737. Among its more than two thousand graves are such notables as Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine (signers of the Declaration of Independence), Paul Revere, and the five victims of the Boston Massacre. In 1827, an obelisk was erected in the cemetery in memory of the parents of Benjamin Franklin. Near this obelisk is the oldest grave, that of John Wakefield, who died on June 18, 1667 (interestingly, no documentation could be found as to why the seven year gap from the founding of the cemetery and this first burial). There is just so much history contained in this relatively small space. It is fantastic!
One of the most popular graves visited is this one of Mary Goose, thought by many to be the personage of "Mother Goose" nursery rhyme fame. While no direct evidence can prove this relationship, the belief persists.