FREE. In 2012, a tree toppled by Hurricane Sandy led to the discovery of the Colonial burial ground. In 1812-1814, the current Center Church meeting house was built over a small portion of the burial ground. All the remains and gravestones were left in their original positions to be protected by the church’s foundation where a crypt, an enclosed chamber around the burial ground, was created. The New Haven Crypt is one of the only colonial burial grounds to endure untouched and serves as a rich source of information on the early days of New Haven.