To Copp's Hill Burying Ground / Cemetery, Boston and the 3rd Time is Not a Charm

Views of Copp's Hill Burying Ground in September 2022 and January 2019.

I've been to this cemetery three times, but still haven't found the stone of my 6th great-granduncle.

The weather wasn't cold in January, but there was plenty of ice on the paths, so we decided to return another day.

Stonehill Street is in front, and Hull Street is on the left. You can barely see the Leonard P. Zakim Bridge.

Gate entrance (the only entrance).

Maps from the internet and several from the cemetery.

So, who am I looking for? Thomas Rand, son of Robert Rand and Elizabeth Welch. I first discovered his death from Inscriptions and Records of The Old Cemeteries of Boston, compiled by Robert J. Dunkle & Ann S. Lainhart, NEHGS. Pg. 317. Thomas was the second of seven children. Unfortunately, I don't know where his mother was buried, but know that the father drown in the Mystic River.

I found the location from another source, and this site was very useful. Unfortunately, I don't know where I got the maps that pinpointed the cemetery. My copy is in poor shape, but I'm sharing them anyway. At least I know he is in section A, site 414. The link below lists the known names and sites of those buried at Copp's Hill.

http://www.interment.net/data/us/ma/suffolk/copps-hill-burying-ground.htm 

The above nameplate is from Find-A-Grave. There is a photo, but it didn't seem to help me. And I didn't think I should post it here without permission. The photo was taken in 2007.

The above matches the layout to the one below. The Rand baby is in section A.

The granite stairs entrance is always closed on Charter Street. My Rand child is right at the down arrow. This is a group of seven stones.

This is where I first thought was the site, but never saw the Rand name, so I returned to the cemetery the following week. Then I thought he was on this side, and I couldn't read them because of the shadows.

Or maybe this group, since there are seven stones.

View of North Station.

View of the Charles River.

View of the only exit with the blue Skinny House in front.

Leaving the Cemetery, I took this photo of the Old North Church.

A quick walk past the Church brings you to the Paul Revere Mall with a statue of Paul Revere.

The photos shown below were taken in January 2019. The Paul Revere house is just a few steps away.

A drawing of what the Paul Revere Mall will look like.

Paul Revere's House on the left, closed on this day, January 2019.

He lived so close to Copp's Hill but was buried in the Granary Burial Ground Cemetery. See my link for photos. https://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2014/06/paul-revere-and-other-notables-in.html

Let's Take the Train to Boston from Lowell...Wait Until You See the Changes

In spring, there were several local Facebook friends discussing how much they wanted to take the train to Boston but didn't know how to do it or they had a lot of questions. Fortunately, I have been in quite a few times this year and have enough photos from previous years to show you the changes.

First, you can get to the station by driving, walking, riding a bike (they have a huge rack), or taking one of the many buses. Parking is $8.00. The fare is $10.50 for seniors, round trip, and $21.00 for all others. No idea about children. You can pay the fee from a conductor on the train. If you have any questions, go to the MBTA website at www.mbta.com.

Waiting room, above. The area for the buses is below.

The schedules are on the wall, but you can also get them online. This one is for weekends. Notice the two-hour timeframe.

First, you walk up or down some stairs to reach the overpass enclosed walkway. Then walk down some stairs. They do have an elevator.

The above and below pictures would be nicer if the windows weren't so filthy.

Walk to the concourse. It can be a pretty long walk.

The concourse can be almost empty or packed with people, especially when the Celtics, Bruins, a top singer, or a special event has the floor.

Don't worry about these ticket kiosks yet. I finally found out what they were for this past Friday (last photo explains the reason).

To get to the trolley lines you go to the left (almost to the end) and you'll reach the closed doors as shown below. No more crossing the street. It is all undergrown.

Currently, there are plenty of these signs to take you to the shuttle bus. This is temporary and you need to be aware. In a few weeks, I assume the trolleys will be back to normal.

This is the entrance to the Orange and Green lines. There is just tape across the entrance, no signs with an explanation. When I was there, I felt so sorry for some tourists.

If you continue going out of the building you will see this eatery. I usually cut right through it to Causeway Street. This is one of several exits.

Another exit will bring you to this spot.

Three years ago, there was a major change to the entire exterior front of the North Station complex. See below.

2019 As you can see, the huge parking lot is gone.

April 2022

Looking out at Causeway Street. and the Custom House in the distance.

So getting back to what you saw before the two trolleys closed for repairs.

When you are able to take the two trolleys, these pictures give you an idea of what you will see.

There is a nice map, and a lot of walking, as you can see.

I went to Boston two Fridays in a row, and I was really happy to chat with the contractor at the station the other day. He explained what these machines are for. These machines are going you enclose the concourse on the three sides, not where the trains are. Only people with paid tickets will use these entrances to get to their trains. No more relaxing or loitering.

So what did I do on these trips? If curious here is my next post. https://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2022/09/to-copps-hill-burying-ground-cemetery.html