It is the largest of the city's 18th century cemeteries, and is remarkable for the relatively distant locations some of the stonecarvers came from whose work appears in it.

At the time of its founding, it was essentially laid out on a peninsula, and the pond was more of a tidal inlet of the Piscataqua River.

It is separated from Union Cemetery by a row of trees, and from the railroad yard by a chain link fence.

It is the largest of those laid out in the 18th century, built to address increased demand in the growing community.

It soon became a favored burying ground, and a number of locally and nationally prominent figures are interred there.