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ATTLEBORO - Hezekiah Peck, one of the city's first settlers, died in 1723 and was buried on a little hill overlooking the Bungay River.

The plot, once part of Peck's sprawling farm, is known as the Old Peck Burying Ground, and is the final resting place for many members of the Peck family.

It's the second oldest cemetery in Attleboro, according to the city's historical commission.

But in recent years, it's been hard to tell the little spot of land tucked away behind the CVS store on North Main Street held anything of value.

The 300-year-old cemetery had been almost overrun by Mother Nature and badly abused by people who dumped brush and trash there. But Hezekiah must be looking down and smiling now, thanks to a Boy Scout named Brandon Richards, 18, who organized a cleanup of the historical site to help him earn his Eagle Scout Badge, scouting's highest award.

A member of Troop 15, out of the Good News Bible Chapel on West Street, he and at least 20 troop members spent 15 hours over two days in April to reclaim the historical site that's long been a concern for people who care about the city's history.

As far back as 1894, John Daggett wrote in his "History of Attleboro" that he feared for the survival of the little tree-clustered knoll with more than 20 graves.

"Now huckleberry bushes and the coarse growths of neglected fields cover the place, and if anything is ever to be done in the way of restoration and preservation it must be done soon, or it will be forever too late," Daggett wrote on page 739 of his book - 115 years ago.

The cemetery undoubtedly had been cleaned from time to time since 1894, but once again it lay on the verge of obliteration.

Richards didn't find huckleberry bushes, but there was a thick growth of birch saplings - some of which are now headed to the city's tree farm - and piles and piles of leaves, limbs and household rubbish.

"There was a whole lot of trash, and a bunch of people had dumped their yard waste here," Richards said.

Assistant Scoutmaster Roger Veilleux said the cemetery was a mess.

"It was horrendous," he said. "People threw all kinds of stuff here."

City council President Frank Cook suggested the nearly extinct cemetery as good project for an aspiring Eagle Scout and was pleased Richards and his helpers brought it back to life. "You should have seen the place," he said. "They did a very nice job here."

Richards is the son of Kent and Jackie Richards of Josiah Way, and graduated from Attleboro High School Friday.

He plans to attend the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth next year.