Beaufort's Old Burying Ground

Images of America: North Carolina

by Diane Hardy, Mamré Wilson, Marilyn Collins

Beaufort, bordered by the waters of Taylor’s Creek and Beaufort Inlet, is a picturesque, thriving coastal town, filled with rich traditions and a unique North Carolina heritage. Historic homes and shops, many predating the birth of George Washington, stand majestically in the shadows of graceful live oak trees. The town’s sidewalks are lined with white picket fences, distinguished by a rainbow assortment of well-tended flowers. Centered in this beautiful, historic town, the Old Burying Ground is a fascinating treasure-trove of little-known seacoast stories and legends that have shaped Beaufort’s identity, from its maritime roots before the Revolutionary War to the present. In Beaufort’s Old Burying Ground, you will enjoy a visual tour of one of the East Coast’s most interesting and historic cemeteries, where you will learn the stories of patriots, privateers, and pirates who played a strategic role in the area’s history and were buried within the cemetery’s confines. Through these different tales and legends, an extraordinary tapestry is woven of star-crossed lovers, victims of the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1864, the American Indian “Wars and Massacres,” family histories, Confederate spies’ daring deeds, shipwrecks, and the sadness of young lives snuffed out too soon.

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 1999

Reviews

[James Crabtree · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you only visit one cemetery this year make it the Old Burying Grounds. This place has a blockage runner, a girl buried in a rum barrel, a British officer buried standing up, and a variety of other characters. This book illustrates some of the headstones and signs found in the burying ground as well as pictures of some of the departed and local homes and businesses associated with the residents. An interesting look at the history of this corner of America.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this refresher course in Beaufort history, as told through the tombstones. I've long been fascinated by old cemeteries, so this short book was right up my alley. The captions accompanying the photographs were very informative.