First Parish Cemetery Norwell

05/20/2026

Posted by Stephen O’Neil.

Yesterday, I was voted as a member of the Board of Trustees for Norwell's First Parish Cemetery Association. Technically, I am now an owner-in-trust of one of the South Shore's most beautiful and historic cemeteries. Interred within First Parish Cemetery are Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans, including members of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. There are graves of the earliest families, the Turners, Stetsons, Bryants from the 18th Century. The 19th Century families, the Foggs, Merrtits, Sparrells, Nashes, are all buried here, alongside Venus Manning, an African-American business woman and her family. And quietly buried alongside his parents, is Pulitzer Prize winning author John Cheever, one of my favorite authors. May I be worthy of this honor and help take care of these my permanent neighbors.

History in the heart of Norwell Center

03/16/2025

Watch the latest video from last fall’s First Parish Comes Alive! Tour: Civil War veteran Lemuel Freeman. This photo shows his letter to the recruitment office saying: ...I am a Colored man and would like to enlist in the Colored regiment of your state. Will you please write to me if I can join and what bounty your state pays recruits and what aid the family’s receive and if should be entitled to it. Yours Respectfully, Lemuel Freeman

Here’s the link: https://reflect-nstv.cablecast.tv/cablecastapi/embed?show_id=3640

10/26/2024

The Cemetery "Came Alive" today on a beautiful Fall afternoon. The Norwell Historical Society's 2024 Tour was a huge success starting with the Re-Dedication of the Venus Manning Gravestone followed by a tour to 8 Gravesites where we learned about the people buried there. Well all but one, Humphrey Turner is actually buried in Scituate, His monument was delivered to the wrong graveyard and never moved.

09/22/2024

Reserve your spot at the 2024 First Parish Comes Alive! Cemetery Tour!

Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49A5AB22ABF4C25-50968444-first/5838589 #/

09/12/2024

We’re getting ready for the 2024 First Parish Comes Alive! Cemetery Tour on Saturday, October 26th (rain date: Sunday, October 27th). Watch actor Danny Hannafin portray William Vinal (Cap’n Bill!) at last year’s tour. To sign up for this year’s tour, go to the EVENTS link at our website: norwellhistoricalsociety.org.

Use this link to watch the video:
http://72.93.231.20/CablecastPublicSite/show/3264?site=2

07/22/2024

12/01/2023

We are thankful for the residents of the Town of Norwell who, through the CPA, underwrote the restoration of many gravestones at First Parish Cemetery in Norwell Center. Would you like to know more about this historic cemetery?
Link: https://firstparishcemeterynorwell.org

06/16/2023

Join Wendy and Steve as they present this fascinating subject! https://norwellpubliclibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/norwell-s-historic-cemeteries-nhs/

11/08/2022

Did you attend the First Parish Comes Alive! Cemetery Tour last month? If so,
you may have noticed some of the First Parish gravestones looking rather spiffy!
Thanks to funding from the citizens of Norwell (through the Community Preservation
Act), the First Parish Cemetery Association, and the Norwell Historical Society, quite a
few gravestones have been restored. Thank you Norwell, and thank you to everyone
who donated to the Historical Society—your gifts helped this restoration happen!
https://norwellhistoricalsociety.org/donate

10/31/2020

The Norwell Historical Social did an outstanding job today "Coming Alive" at the cemetery. Nine actors portrayed nine former residents of Norwell and gave a brief description of their lives in and about Norwell. Click on each picture for more information.