This burial ground was created with the establishment of the Plympton Green at a town meeting held in Plymouth on March 16, 1702, though it likely did not receive its first burial until around 1706. It was expanded just before 1900 and again around 1905, when it became known as Hillcrest Cemetery. Because of its great age and continuous use, it is recognized as having one of the finest assortments of carved grave markers in southeastern Massachusetts. Its carvings and inscriptions represent the work of several generations of 18th century stone carvers and their descendants and successors, most notably Nathaniel Fuller and the Soule family, and the stones and markers illustrate the evolution of mortuary art and memorial styles throughout the 18th and 19th century.