Suffolk County Cemeteries
THE OLD BURIAL GROUND - Southold, NY
(see photos of The Old Burial Ground)
Source: Historic Cemeteries Database
The Old Burial Ground is the oldest English cemetery in New York
State. Founded in 1640 by English colonists from New Haven, (in
what was to become Connecticut) the town of Southold, located ten
miles from Orient Point, on eastern Long Island is considered to
be the first English settlement in New York State.
While New York is commonly thought of as an English colony, the
original colonists to settle Manhattan and the Hudson Valley were
Dutch. The English made their inroads on eastern Long Island,
approximately one hundred miles to the east of what was later to
become New York City. These original English colonists came
across Long Island Sound from the New England colonies to the
north and looked to them for commerce, culture, civil and
religious authority. Southold was originally part of the colony
of New Haven.
This page was last updated August 28, 2000.