The Myles Standish Cemetery is the type of place one simply stumbles upon while taking a wrong turn during a trip. This unassuming burial ground is one that none would think the wiser to were they just passing it by; its remote location and lack of defining traits, save for the memorial dedicated to the Standish family, makes it practically common for the earliest-founded towns in Massachusetts. For those who know their history, however, this cemetery represents far more than just a final resting place, it represents the first generation of Americans to live and die on the same land, as well as their harrowing passage from England during the 17th century.
The Myles Standish Cemetery has the distinct honor of being the oldest, and the oldest maintained, cemetery in the entire country. Its history, both of those buried within its property lines as well as the land itself, have stories to tell, should one only devote the time to listen.
The History Of The Cemetery And Its Earliest Burials
Whereas some cemeteries are truly humbling in their overwhelming nature, the Myles Standish Cemetery is not much in the way of grand gestures or loud headstones. Rather, it's a quiet tribute to those first settlers who came to America with some headstones reading nothing - just sitting as a crumbling reminder of the old age of the land itself. It's easy to forget about those who came before us until a person walks into a place such as this, where era-appropriate graves featuring skulls and other slightly morbid and dated details stare back at us, serving as reminders that many have come after a long, long line of descendants who called America their home.
In order to truly appreciate the nature of this cemetery's history, the time should be taken to walk around its hallowed grounds, reading the effigies that describe personalities of a time far gone. The cemetery dates back more than 380 years and one of the most significant gravesites is that of Myles Standish and his family. With it, a story of an intermingled love triangle, as well as a bit of mystery, is what draws many people to the plots of this burial ground. The first of those to be buried in the cemetery happened in 1638 and while Standish lived until 1656 - nearly two decades after the cemetery was created - his plot is still the most visited of any.
Now, when visiting the cemetery, the Standish family plot can be identified easily due to the large canons that adorn it on every side. The site of these four canons is also marked by an American flag and a wooden sign that says 'Capt. Myles Standish, 1656.' However, when Standish was first buried, this gravestone would have been marked simply as the others were without any fanfare. The story of his elaborate tribute, as well as how the rest of his family came to be buried in the same plot with him, is another reason many people find this cemetery so intriguing.
The Decline Of The Cemetery
Following the American Revolution, the cemetery went through a period of decay as it fell into disarray with no maintenance. This followed a downward trend of the economy in Duxbury and, with it, many significant gravesites were almost lost, with their stones falling into disrepair. Of those significant locations, Mayflower passengers William Brewster, John Alden, and, of course, Myles Standish, were almost gone for good. Should this have had come to fruition, it would have been nearly impossible to find the sites of each grave again. However, it was the body of Myles Standish which became the major hunt and, luckily, it was found - alongside those who were presumably his children.
Why did Standish sport such a reputation aside from his Mayflower passage? It was believed that he and John Alden were connected in another way which involved a woman named Priscilla Mullins. The love triangle between the three was never confirmed but was alluded to by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was responsible for writing The Courtship of Miles Standish. The final resting places of John Alden and Priscilla were also found, along with those of their children, not too far away. Thus, the history of the Myles Standish Cemetery is one not only of colonial significance but also of romance and - perhaps - a bit of salacious naivete. They say that two can keep a secret... But you know the rest of that saying, and in this cemetery, only the stones speak for themselves.