Visitors seek monument for Nantucket pioneer Absalom Boston at historic cemetery

The Town-County of Nantucket, Massachusetts, held a meeting on June 2, 2025, to discuss the historical significance of the Colored Cemetery, particularly focusing on the legacy of Captain Absalom Boston. The meeting highlighted Boston's prominent role in Nantucket's New Guinea neighborhood as a black captain, entrepreneur, and community leader.

Absalom Boston, the grandson of enslaved individuals, was known for his contributions to the African Baptist Church and his advocacy for education within his community. Despite his wealth and status, which included ownership of multiple properties and a boarding house, he lacks a memorial stone in the cemetery, raising questions about the preservation of his legacy.

The meeting detailed Boston's family history, including his marriages and the tragic losses he faced, with only three of his seven children surviving him. His daughter, Caroline, was unable to afford a memorial for her father and stepmother, Hannah Cook Boston, who also passed away without a headstone.

The discussion also touched on the struggles faced by Boston's family, particularly his daughter Phoebe Ann, who was involved in the public school integration movement of the 1840s. Despite her qualifications, she was initially confined to a segregated school. The Nantucket Black community's response to this injustice included a boycott of the segregated school system, which ultimately led to legal action by Absalom Boston against the town.

The meeting concluded with a call to recognize and memorialize the contributions of Absalom Boston and his family, emphasizing the importance of preserving the history of Nantucket's black community. The discussions underscored the need for further action to ensure that the legacies of figures like Boston are honored and remembered in the community.