In the fall of 2002, a group of Concord residents formed The Friends of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery with the mission to provide leadership to beautify, enhance, and advance the Cemetery, one of Concord’s treasures.
One of the most important decisions we can make is where to spend our time – either on a visit, or when thinking about where to put down roots and build a family and community. One of the aspects of Concord that attracts so many people from around the world to come here – to spend time, or to stay – is the unique essence of ‘place.’
In 2002, a volunteer group of citizens formed The Friends of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery with the mission focused on the continuing enhancement and beautification of and furthering education about that Concord treasure. Guided by a Board of Directors, with full appreciation to those supporters who contribute through an Annual Appeal and otherwise, and in liaison communication and collaboration with the Town’s Cemetery Committee, the organization has successfully continued for two decades, and goes on.
The expression “dead men tell no tales” may not quite ring true. The men, women, and even small children buried in Concord’s three burying grounds have much to teach us about the town’s early colonial history, its revolutionary chapter, and even our literary legacy. Take a stroll, enjoy the stunning fall foliage, and take a trip back in time to learn more about Concord’s British and American history.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, which is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, is the final resting place of many well-known luminaries like Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and others whose lives have been documented in numerous ways.
But there is much more to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, including the burial sites of some fascinating people who may not be as familiar. Their graves can be located on the framed maps at the Cemetery entrances.
