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Throwback Workday, May 2012. Photo by Vivian Turcott*
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*Vivian Turcott was a special Spirits Alive volunteer. Though her soul has gone on, we are lucky that her many photographic contributions remain in our Flickr photo archives. Thank you for everything, Vivian! 1921 - 2017
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Keeping Spirits Alive Since 1668
The Eastern Cemetery has a birthday this year, and we are celebrating with some special events. Please put these on your calendars today!
- Saturday, July 21, 2018 - Herb Adams walks the Longfellow graves
- Sunday, August 12, 2018 - with Greater Portland Landmarks: Observatory tour and obituary reading at the Moody tomb
- Saturday, September 15, 2018 - slate-carving demo with Matt Barnes of Yankee Slate Cutting
We are very pleased to have a group of generous sponsors who are making these events and our continued conservation of the cemetery possible. THANK YOU.
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Tours and Conservation in the Eastern Cemetery
Things are heating up inside the gates now that the snow is gone. We are starting to set dates for conservation days and also for tours!
- Memorial Day flag distribution - come help us place U.S. flags on the memorials of our veterans (Wednesday, May 23, 10:AM)
- Conservation Days (May through September)
- Walking Tours (June through October)
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Melville B. Cox's slate headstone, photo by H. Doggett
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Died December 16, 1837
Dying at only 4 years old, Melville didn't have much time to make his mark on the world, though he could have followed in his father's footsteps. The Reverend Gershom Flagg Cox was a highly-respected preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church. Born in Hallowell, Maine, he and his family made their way to Salem where he passed away in 1879. Gershom was the twin brother of Melville Beveridge Cox, a missionary who died in Liberia in 1833 (and whose name graces the Cox Memorial United Methodist Church in Hallowell). Gershom wrote Melville's memoirs and undoubtedly named his son after him. Melville was one of 12 children born to Gershom and his wife, Susan T. Merritt.
MELVILLE B. COX,
Son of
Rev. G.F. Cox,
died Dec. 16, 1837.
Aged 4 yrs.
"Even so father, for so it
seemed good in thy sight."
Melville's simple slate marker includes a fluted urn draped by a willow. The urn has been placed inside of a "Palladian window" and hashmarks help it stand out from its background. The wavy border sets the artwork off from the inscription.
You can suggest a subterranean celebrity! Just send an email—it doesn't take much to make a nice little story. An index of all of our Subterranean Celebrities is available.
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Portland's Historic Eastern Cemetery, A Field of Ancient Graves by Ron Romano
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Ron Romano has published a follow up to his first book, Early Gravestones in Southern Maine — The Genius of Bartlett Adams and it focuses on the Eastern Cemetery itself: Portland's Historic Eastern Cemetery—A Field of Ancient Graves. This book:
- Describes the history of the cemetery's evolution
- Includes information on special cemetery sections: African American, Quaker, Catholic, and "Strangers"
- Discusses the history of Portland, Maine, in relation to this historic landscape
- Provides vignettes of the men and women memorialized in this special place
A must-read for any cemetery aficionado, the book is filled with photographs and sketches to illustrate the text. Our website has more about how to purchase this new publication.
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If you're an Amazon shopper, here's an easy way to support your favorite historic Maine cemetery:
- Go to smile.amazon.com
- Enter "Spirits Alive" in the box
- Choose the non-profit in Portland, Maine from the list
Voila! A portion of all of your purchases through smile.amazon.com will go to our efforts to support, conserve and promote this historic outdoor museum. Thank you!
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Support the work of Spirits Alive with your giving
You can help Spirits Alive keep the Eastern Cemetery alive for generations to come. Through your support, you can help us, an ALL-VOLUNTEER organization, to continue to:
- Keep the gates open – encouraging the community to explore its open and safe green space
- Offer education about the cemetery and its residents to the public – through tours, lectures, and events
- Encourage and support the city in keeping the site clean and safe for visitors of all ages
- Preserve this incredible outdoor museum and sacred historic landscape
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We are a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of Portland, Maine’s historic Eastern Cemetery through a range of activities including promotion and education.
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