Eight headstones were found toppled and damaged this week at Provincetown’s Winthrop Street Cemetery, jolting residents and the volunteers who help care for the town’s oldest burial ground. The vandalism, discovered Tuesday, left several fragile historic markers broken across the small, sand dune site just as the Cape’s busy summer season ramps up. Town officials and public safety leaders have launched an investigation into the incident.
Police seek tips and surveillance
Investigators say the damage happened sometime from Monday night into Tuesday, with eight markers hit across the cemetery. Authorities are asking anyone who may have seen something suspicious to call (508) 487-1212 or text the keyword PTOWNPD to 847411, according to NBC Boston.
Police are also looking for any available surveillance footage that might show activity near the cemetery during that time window, and they are keeping the case open while they sort through tips, per NBC Boston.
Historic site, ongoing conservation
Winthrop Street Cemetery, set between Winthrop and Court streets, is Provincetown’s oldest burial ground. The hillside site holds slate headstones and small family plots that date back centuries and has long been a focus of local preservation work, according to the Town of Provincetown.
The town’s Cemetery Commission has included Winthrop Street Cemetery in its master conservation planning, with stabilization and restoration efforts underway over the years to keep the fragile markers standing, per the Town of Provincetown.
Preservation grants backed earlier work
Provincetown has tapped Community Preservation Act funding for signage, historic interpretation and conservation planning at Winthrop Street Cemetery. A "Winthrop Street Cemetery Phase 4" project in the Community Preservation Coalition’s database covers signage and master plan work that supported parts of the cemetery’s conservation effort, according to the Community Preservation Coalition.
What’s next
Town staff and the Cemetery Commission plan to inspect each damaged stone and decide which markers can be stabilized and which will require more extensive conservation, according to the Town of Provincetown. Police say the investigation remains active and that no arrests have been announced, while officers continue to seek tips and surveillance footage that could move the case forward, per NBC Boston.
Officials are asking people to steer clear of the immediate area around the damaged markers while documentation is completed and conservators assess the stones. Anyone with information that could help the investigation is urged to contact the tipline above.
