Story & Photo by Marianne Salza
City Historian Jeff Pearlman will be guiding a tour of the Rumney Marsh Burial Ground, located at 44 Butler Street, Revere, on Sunday, November 17, at 2pm.
“I give a general history about the cemetery, and then we walk around and I talk about some of the famous people who are interred there, such as Deane Winthrop, the son of our first governor,” said Pearlman, who has written a poem about the cemetery. “There is so much about our history that people don’t know.”
Pearlman feels that any Revere resident who is interested in learning about local history in their own backyard will enjoy the tour. He believes visitors will be astounded when they learn about the importance of the cemetery, which has laid to rest 16 slaves, and war veterans such as Reverend Phillips Payson (1801-1865), a minister who fought during the American Revolution.
Those who lost their lives during the Battle of Chelsea Creek in May 1775 will also be mentioned by Pearlman, who is a member of a committee that’s mission is to organize a commemoration to honor the first naval battle in American history.
Visitors will pause where Civil War soldiers are buried, including Lewis Bullard, the final person interred at Rumney Marsh Burial Ground in the 1920s.
Pearlman will describe the 18th and 19th century iconography engraved on headstones, explaining the symbolism of figures such as angels, skeleton heads, and a rising/setting sun.
Pearlman will also explain how the city’s name has changed over the years: from 1739-1846, Revere was part of Chelsea; in 1846, as the area grew, the name was changed to North Chelea; between 1846-1871, with the influx of residents, the area became known as the Town of Revere; and in 1915, it became the City of Revere, electing its first mayor.
“When the tour is over, they get to appreciate the cemetery,” said Pearlman. “In the handout, there is information about other historical sites in Revere; for example, the monument commemorating the Battle of Chelsea Creek, which is near the [Cronin] Skating Rink, and also the library, which was a gift from Andrew Carnegie in 1902.”
Pearlman is a Revere native, who grew up on Constitution Avenue with a curiosity for who the local schools and streets were named after. He was a history major in college, and taught in Revere Public Schools for 36 years. Now Pearlman is an adjunct professor of geography at Salem State University.
“I found out that the schools and streets were not only named after people who were known nationally, but are local people, as well,” exclaimed Pearlman. “Payson Street is named after Phillips Payson, and Tuttle Street is named after the Tuttle Family, who were one of the first families who owned a farm in what was then known as Rumney Marsh.”
He is also a trustee for the Revere Society for Cultural and Historical Preservation, located at 108 Beach Street. Pearlman encourages all to explore the museum, which will have several rooms open in late November to learn more about the city’s history.
