Opened in the 18th century as the John Street Burying Ground, it served the township of Bridgeton until its closure in 1870. The site quickly became derelict and abandoned with new housing replacing the old industrial enterprises, it was decided to turn the area into a memorial garden and a space for quiet reflection. The garden was reopened in November 2009. That said, many of the memorials are missing, and those that do remain are limited to the south-western corner of the garden, with a good number having inscriptions that have worn away. A memorial book listing some of those interred here can be viewed at New Register House in Edinburgh but this is only a fraction of the many people who were buried at the John Street Burying Ground. .