April 2009
Upcoming Events
Stone Transcription to Continue
New Headstone for Charles Codman
Become a Spirits Alive Friend Today
Support Spirits Alive
Give to the Charles Codman Fund
Site Links
First Workday of the Season
Saturday, May 2
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Help us get the Eastern Cemetery ready for summer visitors!
- Volunteers will trim and prune shrubs and trees, remove vines, weed around stones, mulch, plant, and clean out winter trash
- Landscape architect Barry Hosmer will be on hand to answer questions and train us on how to work around historic stones
- Dress in layers, bring gloves, hat, and tools (rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, handsaws if you have them)
- Have a good time and perhaps even break a sweat!
- Next workday: June 13
Tours Resume in the Summer
Bring your love of Portland history, cemetery art, or interest in burial practices since the 1600s take a tour!
- History of the Eastern Cemetery – stroll through 350 years of the Eastern Cemetery’s past.
- Earliest Portland: The Unmarked Past - stroll in the stones and learn about events of the 17th and early 18th centuries shaping the spirit Portland has today.
- Art & the Elements – learn about the geology of the site including marker and monument stones while receiving a brief introduction to early mortuary art
The tour schedule will be available soon!
Stone Transcription to Continue
Calling all history detectives and stone conservators! Come help us transcribe, measure, and assess the condition of the gravestones on the site. Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, we transcribed over 300 stones last season. This summer, we will continue with "Section A" (corner of Congress and Mountfort) which allows us to prioritize stones that need repair and conservation work. Check the Web site for the transcription schedule where we train volunteers on accurate data collection while working amidst these fragile and beautiful old stones and monuments.
Photos from fall transcription days are available!
New Headstone for Charles Codman
The drive for funds to replace the headstone for 18th century Portland landscape painter, Charles Codman continues. Spirits Alive has raised almost half of the needed dollars to replace this great Maine artist's broken and deteriorated marker. Read the Portland Press Herald's interview with Spirits Alive founder, Christina White. It's our hope to have the marker in place by September.
Help us reach the Codman goal!
Become a Spirits Alive Friend Today
Help Spirits Alive keep the Eastern Cemetery alive for generations to come and join as a Friend. For only $25 a year ($40 for families, $15 for students or elders), you can help:
- Continue offering education to the public – through tours, lectures, and events
- Build a master plan for the cemetery – to ensure its care forever
- Keep the gates open – encouraging the community to use its open green space
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