Tour #6: Rural Cemetery Walking Tour
North & Pemberton Streets

The Walpole Historical Society is sponsoring walking tours of the town’s historic cemeteries. This year marks Walpole’s 300th anniversary, but it also marks the Society’s 125th anniversary, and to mark these special occasions, we are hosting several walking tours of our unique cemeteries. We are lucky enough to have nine historic cemeteries in town, and each one is special and holds Walpole’s unique history. Each tour will have a topic to highlight Walpole’s history. It is our hope that through these tours participants will learn more about Walpole’s early history and the people who contributed to the town’s growth.

Rural Cemetery
Walking Tour
“Industry and Small Business in Walpole: Local Leaders Grow a Town”

Rural Cemetery was established in 1820 between North and Pemberton Streets, and in an early document it is referred to as The “North Burying Ground.” Established as the Old Burial Ground was hemmed in by private property and two well-established roads, and could not expand. In 1842 a committee was formed to enlarge and improve the cemetery. In the same year they purchased 3 acres of abutting land, and in 1850 they voted to complete the receiving tomb. More land was purchased in 1861. Rural Cemetery is one of Walpole’s largest cemeteries. It contains a nice variety of gravestones styles, and is still in use today.

Here in Rural Cemetery, rest many of Walpole’s early businessmen and industrialists and their families, which helped to grow Walpole into a bustling town. Walpole started out as an agricultural town, made up of many family subsistence farms. However, it should be noted that before Walpole was established in 1724, it already had several small mills located within its borders. In fact, this area of Dedham, that would one day become Walpole, was initially established in the late 1600s, around a sawmill (most likely located in the area of todays Town Forest). Over the next several decades, more water rights were given to millers, who in turn established new mills here on the banks of the Neponset River and on some of its tributaries. Over the years, water rights were given to businessmen to dam up the river, thus creating millponds with waterfalls to turn waterwheels and then to build mills. These mills included saw and gristmills, cotton & paper manufacturing, and iron foundries. Many tradesman set up businesses based on their skill/training… shoemakers, blacksmiths, tanners and carriage makers. We even had a couple of straw weaving business in town. Admittedly most of these businesses were small businesses, employing anywhere between 1 to 10 people, but each little business contributed to the growth of Walpole.

Our hope is that you all will gain a new understanding about Walpole and its industrial and small business history.

For more about the historical society:
Walpole Historical Society