"Naming the Unnamed"

Everyone Has a Story: A Public Recognition Event
Sunday, May 18 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM (Rain or shine)

Join us in honoring the lives of veterans buried at the Concord Reformatory Prison Cemetery—men laid to rest between 1878 and 1996, whose bodies were never claimed by family, but whose stories deserve to be remembered. This public recognition event calls out and acknowledges the untold lives of the Civil War and military veterans buried at the cemetery, honoring their service, stories, and humanity.

Event Location:
Gerow Recreation Area Pavilion
Near MCI-Concord Prison
37B Commonwealth Avenue, Concord, MA
Event is Accessible.
Limited parking is available by the event site. Additional parking is available near the prison and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

Date & Time:
Sunday, May 18 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM (Rain or shine)

This program is offered by Concord Prison Outreach as part of the Freedom’s Way – Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History, an annual month-long celebration showcasing events and activities hosted by local partners celebrating the unique places, objects, and stories of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. Hidden Treasures programs are free and open to the public.
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Concord Prison Outreach, a local non-profit established over 50 years ago, has been working since 2022 to memorialize the 218 men buried at the Concord Reformatory Prison Cemetery.  This cemetery is the final burial site for 218 men laid to rest between 1878 and 1996.  Their bodies were never claimed.

Identified by a small cement block buried flat to the ground, each man’s grave is marked only with prison legend and number, we dubbed this memorialization project “Naming the Unnamed” with the goal of recognizing each of the 218 men buried here.  The project includes physical improvements to the cemetery, biographies and demographics, art panels created by students at the Mass College of Art, and interactive maps, digital collections through the Concord Public Library system and our own website, and significant community involvement, support, and education.

“Naming the Unnamed” brings forward this unique part of Concord’s history, joining the other family of Concord cemeteries, at a historical moment in time.  And help to understand the impact of dying in prison with no family to collect your remains.

This initiative is brought forward through the collaboration from many community partners, including the Department of Corrections, Town of Concord, Mass College of Art, local faith groups, and volunteers.