The first burial in the Old Burying Ground took place on June 22, 1749. Halifax's first burial ground, it accepted over 12,000 burials by the time of its closing in 1844. The oldest existing stone, from 1752, marks the grave of Malachi Salter Jr, the 2-year old son of a prominent Halifax merchant. The cemetery was allowed to deteriorate for many decades until a restoration initiative took place in the 1980s.
Today well maintained, due to its age and the notables buried within, the burying ground, as well as the Welsford-Parker Monument at the entrance, have become
Tourist attractions. The Welsford-Parker Monument is a large stone
Triumphal Arch just inside the Barrington Street entrance. Dedicated on July 17, 1860, this monument was erected to remember Major Augustus Welsford of the 97th Regiment, and Captain William Parker of the 77th Regiment, two Nova Scotians who fought for the British during the Crimean War and died on September 8, 1855 at the storming of the Redan fortification at Sebastopol.
The
Old Burying Ground is an historic cemetery located in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was founded in 1749. Halifax's first burial ground, it was turned over to
St. Paul's Anglican Church in 1793.
Closed in 1844, the condition of the site steadily declined until a restoration initiative in the 1980s. The Old Burying Ground Foundation was formed to care for the site, and we are now working to raise support for a second major restoration.
Over the decades, more than 12,000 people were interred on the site and it holds some 1,300 headstones. Many
notable persons are buried in the cemetery, and at the entrance stands the
Welsford-Parker Monument, a memorial built in 1860 commemorating two Haligonians killed in the
Crimean War.
From the Old Burying Ground
The Welsford-Parker Monument
Dedicated on July 17, 1860, this public monument remembers Major Augustus Welsford of the 97th Regiment, and Captain William Parker of the 77th Regiment. These Nova Scotians fought for the British during the Crimean War, and they died on September 8, 1855 at the storming of the Redan fortification at Sebastopol. Also known as the Sebastopol monument, it is not only a rare pre-Confederation war memorial, but also the province's only large monument. The larger than life twelve ton lion stands atop the Roman triumphal arch created from Albert County, New Brunswick sandstone.
The arch and lion were carved by George Laing, and were funded by public subscription and a provincial grant. Laing was a Scottish carver and Halifax contractor who also erected the County Courthouse next to the Old Burying Ground, Keith Hall, and the Halifax Club.
From the Old Burying Ground