Old Town Cemetery

Old Town Cemetery. . Although it lies in the shadow of a historic church, Hillsborough's Old Town Cemetery is not a traditional churchyard burial ground. One of North Carolina's oldest municipal cemeteries, it was established in 1757 by the colonial Assembly and is the final resting place of several people who are significant to North Carolina history. , The oldest part of the cemetery is just north of the church buildings in what now appears to be an empty field. in 2016, ground-penetrating radar revealed that at least a hundred graves are located there. The original grave markers – probably rough fieldstones or carved and painted wood – have not survived. , Before 1800, the Hooper family – whose house still stands two doors away on West Tryon Street – set aside a small portion of their property adjoining the public cemetery for their graves. Following this example, other prominent families bought their own plots from the Hoopers. In time, nine brick-walled plots extended south to the street, eventually defining the southern boundary of today's cemetery. The principal marker in the Hooper plot is the ledger stone covering the grave of William Hooper (1742-1790). As a young man, Hooper studied law in his native Massachusetts. He moved to North Carolina and established a law practice first in Wilmington and then in Hillsborough. His gravestone lists several of his accomplishments, but his greatest one – signing the Declaration of Independence – was added to the stone later. , Another grave in the Hooper plot belongs to James Hogg (1729-1804), a family friend. Hogg was a Scottish-born land speculator and advocate for establishing a state university. Hoping to spare his children from jokes about hogs, he successfully petitioned the Assembly to change their surname to Alves, his wife's maiden name. This well-intentioned act prompted the satiric taunt, “Hogg by name/ And Hogg by nature/ Alves by act of the legislature.” Gavin Alves (d. 1812), one of Hoggs' sons, is buried nearby. , The cemetery's tallest gravestone is an obelisk honoring William Alexander Graham (1804-1875), who was governor, a United States senator, and a vice-presidential candidate. Near Graham lies builder and architect John Berry (1798-1870), who brought brick buildings to what had been a town made of wood. Many of Hillsborough's churches and the 1823 Masonic Hall on West King Street are attributed to him. The 1846 courthouse at the corner of Churton and King streets is considered his masterpiece, , Not all who were buried here have names that can be found in history books. Minutes written in 1854 by the town clerk suggest that free African Americans were also buried here. Wives were frequently remembered with loving epitaphs and quotations on their gravestones. Children account for 27 percent of the 178 identified graves, a figure that reflects the high rate of infant mortality in the 19th century. , By 1871, there was little room for those who did not already own family plots, and land was purchased for a new municipal cemetery in the northeast section of Hillsborough. , The Signer The signature of William Hooper as it appears on the Declaration of Independence. In 1894, Hooper's gravestone – and perhaps some of his remains – were moved to Greensboro's Guilford Court House Revolutionary War battle site. His gravestone stayed there for a few years until a statue of Hooper was erected. Then the gravestone was returned to Hillsborough. , The Boulder When she was a child, Margaret Hooker Brown (1839-1923) chose her own gravestone: a quartzite boulder. Its rough, unpolished surface harks back to the raw fieldstones used as gravestones in the 18th century. , Can you find a signature? At least 23 gravestones are signed by the craftsmen who carved them. Their signatures can usually be found on the lower right hand corner of the stone's face, very close to the ground. Hint: An especially clear signature is on the broken Italianate marble stone of Charles P. Owen (1821-1835), located near the church. , [Caption] The grave of Sophronia Graham (1877-1885), with its carved marble dove and curly lamb footstone, is located near the grave of her grandfather, Governor Graham.