Cole's Hill — Pilgrim burial site and historic hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Location and physical features

The rise known today as Cole's Hill slopes down toward the harbor. In its present form it is a landscaped public park with walks and plantings, bounded by historic streets in central Plymouth. The name derives from John Cole, who constructed a dwelling at the site in 1697; his surname became the common designation for the place. Visitors encounter monuments, a bronze statue, and interpretive markers rather than visible grave markers from the seventeenth century.

Early use as a burial ground

During the harsh first winter after the Plymouth Colony settlement, many settlers succumbed to disease, cold, and malnutrition. Those deaths were often buried at night and in unmarked graves on the hill; according to long-standing accounts, corn and other crops were planted over graves to conceal their number and location. This secrecy is usually explained as a precaution to avoid revealing the colony's weakened condition to neighboring Native Americans.

Later history and military use

After the seventeenth century the hill continued to be adapted for new uses. In the late 1600s the Cole family lived there, giving the site its modern name. In later conflicts — notably the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 — defenders placed cannon on the hill and built earthworks to protect the harbor and town. These layers of use illustrate how a single location can serve both memorial and strategic functions over centuries.

Monuments, memorials, and recognition

Cole's Hill is marked today by a number of memorial elements. Atop the hill stands a statue commemorating Massasoit, the leader of the Wampanoag who made a historic peace with the early settlers, and there is a monument honoring the Pilgrims who died during that first winter. The site was formally recognized for its historical importance when it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

• Commemorative elements: Pilgrim monument and Massasoit statue (visible guides explain their symbolism).
• Historic layers: early burial ground, colonial dwelling site, and later military earthworks.
• Public access: maintained as a park with interpretive signage and pathways for visitors.

Significance and interpretation

Cole's Hill is valued both as an archaeological and commemorative place. It represents the human cost of early colonization, the fraught interactions and eventual alliances between English settlers and Indigenous peoples, and subsequent American efforts to remember the colonial past. For those researching or visiting Plymouth, the hill complements nearby historic sites and collections that present the larger story of the colony's founding and survival.

For further information about the site, its archaeological work, and its place in local commemorations see resources about the first cemetery (first cemetery), the Pilgrims (Pilgrims), Plymouth Colony (Plymouth Colony), Native American relations (Native American), the Revolutionary War (Revolutionary War), the War of 1812 (War of 1812), Plymouth Rock (Plymouth Rock), National Historic Landmark status (National Historic Landmark), and Massasoit (Massasoit).