Canaan Street Cemetery

    [Turn north on Canaan Street from U.S. Route 4 at the blinking light in Canaan Village. Canaan Street Cemetery is on your left, 2.8 mi. from the intersection. Old North Church is on the right, across the road from the Cemetery.]

The land was given to the people for a burying place by the then owner, Nathan Messer, but when afterwards he sold it to Mr. John Fales, he neglected to reserve the graveyard in the deed. Then Mr. Fales laid claim to the enclosure and threatened to plow it up, and plant potatoes on the graves, if it were not paid for. The town paid him thirty-seven and one-half dollars, and in the deed a reservation was made of two rods square as a burial place for the Fales family.

There was a stone wall around the original lot which was removed on the east side by Franklin P. Swett in the 1860s and a picket fence built in its place. The town has bought four additions. A small strip was added by G. H. Goodhue and the tomb of William D. Currier was accepted by the town. [History of Canaan, p. 11]