Exploring Old Burying Ground: 300-year-old cemetery is one of the oldest in NC

Comb-like mid-19th century grave covers made of carefully fitted bricks, in Old Burying Grounds, Beaufort, N.C.Photo byImage courtesy Beaufort Historical Assoc.

Discovering a 300-year-old graveyard along North Carolina’s coast feels like stepping back in time.

The Old Burying Ground in Beaufort, one of the oldest cemeteries in the state, dates back to 1711, preserving remnants of a time when pirates, patriots, and ship captains roamed the coast.

Photo bywral.com

The oldest gravestones, often too faded to decipher, reflect a bygone era. Early settlers marked graves with wooden headstones or personal items due to lack of resources. The earliest legible grave marker dates to 1765, but many graves are likely older.

Photo bywral.com

Among the cemetery’s most notable stories is the Girl in the Rum Barrel, a tragic tale of a young girl who died at sea. To honor his promise to bring her home, her father preserved her body in a rum barrel for the journey. Today, her grave is adorned with toys left by visitors touched by her story.

The cemetery also holds the remains of a British officer, buried standing up, facing England, and saluting the king, as well as Captain Otway Burns, buried with a cannon from a pirate ship.

Location: 411 Ann St, Beaufort, NC 28516, United States

This historic graveyard is one of the few remnants from North Carolina’s early days, offering a glimpse into the state’s rich colonial past.