Historic Graveyard Tour

St. Paul’s narrative history tour of the colonial graveyard surrounding the Church takes place on Sunday, May 46th at 1:30 pm.  The tour begins with a brief history of St. Paul’s from its founding in 1711 in British America through the Revolutionary period before visiting the grave sites of prominent Newburyporters. Hear about the lives of the ship captains who perished at sea; merchants who amassed tremendous wealth; revolutionary leaders like Tristram Dalton who supported the Revolutionary cause and loyalists like Mrs. Alice Fowler Cutler whose life was shattered; the sea captain who transported Thomas Jefferson to Paris in 1783; and the only known African American buried in the graveyard. We will also learn about Rev. Edward Bass the first Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts who had to choose between his loyalty to the crown and his devotion to his church.

The tour is filled with liberal doses of local lore and Revolutionary War history as we look at the lives of the early founders and first families of Newburyport during this turbulent period, as well as discussions of gravestone art, symbolism, and poetry over two and half centuries. Gather at the front doors of the church at 166 High Street, Newburyport. The tour is free. Free will donation accepted for preservation efforts. Call 978-465-5351 for more information.