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October 15–18 & 22–25
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays: 6:30pm–7:30pm
Sundays: 5:30pm–6:30pm
$10 adults/$5 children 12 and under |
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Learn of the myriad misfortunes that befell the living and the dead in Maine: Fort Loyall's destruction, the peninsula's first settlement in 1690, Hannah Swarton's capture by the Wabanaki people, the Thrashers and the Triangle Trade, the Portland Reservoir's bursting in 1893, and more! Tickets are available now on Eventbrite or pay at the gate. |
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There’s Still Time to Get Inside the Gates |
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Enjoy the historic landscape inside the gates this month. |
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Daily at 4pm until October 18
$10 per person |
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We are the only cemetery in Maine offering daily walking tours. Join us for an informative jaunt through the stones with a knowledgeable and trained volunteer guide. Tour groups are small, and there is plenty of time for questions. Learn more: spiritsalive.org/tours |
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Thursday, October 8 8:30am–12pm |
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Join us for some general clean-up, a bit of shrubbery pruning, and the continued battle of the dreaded invasives—knotweed and bittersweet come to mind. We also plan to stabilize the cardboard we will put down in three family plots. This placement will help us prepare for trials of various grass seeds we will plant next spring—and if all goes well, maybe we'll start now?! Thank you for helping us care for this 6-acre wonder! |
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In the second row from the Mountfort Street fence along Section B, we find slate markers for brothers James and John Crockett. James was born and died first; he lived from 1786 to 1825. John was born in 1788 and died in 1830; at the time of his death he was serving as master of Portland’s Alms House. The brothers both married women named Sarah and raised their families in Portland. James and his wife occupy plots 15 and 16, while John and his wife are in plots 8 and 9. But there are at least a dozen undecorated plots in row 1 between the two couples. |
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In memory of
MR. JAMES CROCKETT
died Mar. 20, 1825.
AEt. 39.
A husband dear,
A parent kind,
A friend of God;
and all mankind. |
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| In memory of
JOHN CROCKETT
who died
Sept. 2, 1830,
AEt. 41.
A husband dear, a parent kind,
Belov’d by all he left behind. |
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When James died, Bartlett Adams was still running his nearby stone shop, and it is Bartlett’s lettering on James’s 1825 grave marker. But in between James’s death in 1825 and John’s death in 1830, Bartlett Adams had died and his shop was in the hands of partners Francis Ilsley and Joseph Thompson. It is their work on John’s grave marker. Both slates are decorated with the commonly found urn and willow. But it’s their epitaphs that are noteworthy. Bartlett carved James’s verse as "A husband dear, a parent kind; A friend of God and all mankind.” Five years later, Ilsley and Thompson borrowed—but changed—Bartlett’s verse to “A husband dear, a parent kind; Beloved by all he left behind." |
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Thanks to our cemetery historian, Ron Romano, for the write-up on James and John Crockett. |
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Guess what cemetery fan group has its own shirts, caps, playing cards, and tote bags? Spirits Alive does, that’s who! Visit us on Zazzle to view all of our products. Please know that proceeds go directly back to Spirits Alive to help us fund our work to keep the Eastern Cemetery cared for and to teach others about its wonders. |
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Support Eastern CemeteryYou 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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For 20 years, Spirits Alive, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization, has been 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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