eastern cemetery

Went on a warm July day with my BFF from college...she was visiting from California. What a great historical site right in the city...and with great views from different locations within the cemetery. Lots of very old gravestones dating back to Revolutionary times...some perfect for rubbings. Even though the grasses were not cut, there were still beautiful wildflowers everywhere. We got some great shots of gravestones, views, wildflowers, and even some soft white dandelion seeds on the stems. We spent two hours taking everything within this beautiful site all in. You need to find parking on the street...but the Eastern Cemetery is so worth a visit for so many reasons. Another memorable historical site that Portland is lucky to host...A poignant look back at residents and soldiers of long ago.

We explored this fascinating, historical, 5.3-acre (2.1 ha) burial ground located at Mountfort, Federal, and Congress Streets, in the saddle of old Falmouth Neck, as Portland’s peninsula was once called. An iron and granite fence (built 1852) ran along its Congress Street side. The cemetery was on the Portland Freedom Trail. It had good views of Portland Harbor. A bronze plaque said it was chartered in 1668. Its earliest burial was in 1717. The Stinson Civil War Memorial was in it. The place had 3,848 named graves, 208 unnamed graves, and 180 soldiers’ graves from colonial wars through the Civil War. Older stones had death’s heads, angels of death, odd urns, poetic couplets, and other intriguing markings. A few trees offered summer shade. Parking was curbside on neighboring streets; some was metered. This cemetery was closed to the public at night – so visit it during the day, if the spirit moves you the way it did us.

High on the hill is this fine cemetery. Many grave stones from War of 1812, others date back to 1600s.

worth it if you're researching Portland history or relatives. tour is highly recommended. information is helpful in understanding the earlier days of Portland.

If you have family from Portland, please check out the East End. You will not be disappointed. Find the family names and more than likely you will discover your ancestors on the hill.

We were in town for just a day and tried to fit in as much as we could. I came across this spot and managed to find some of the information listed on the Spirits Alive website. I would have loved to have had the guide, but our flights were heading out too early that day unfortunately. This was the oldest graveyard i've been to. Just exploring the grounds and finding some of the history through the website made it worthwhile. Next time we come into town, we will definitely be getting a guide to get more information!

I have taken the tour once before and am looking forward to another visit very soon. Ron Romano is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and a pleasure as a guide. I highly recommend the experience.

My friends and I toured the Portland Eastern Cemetery this past weekend. It was our good fortune to have Ron Romano as our guide. He is part of Spirits Alive, a group dedicated to the cemetery's preservation, and an authority on Bartlett Adams, Portland's very own stone cutter. Ron guided us through the cemetery, pointing out the oldest headstones, the difference in wear between the various headstone materials, and those stones designed and cut by Bartlett Adams. Who knew that the inscriptions on slate would last over 250 years, while those on marble would not. Most fascinating was the use of above-ground tomb markers and the small stones marking the buried steps leading to the underground vaults. This cemetery's history is remarkable, and Ron does a wonderful job of describing the stories of those who are interned there. Be sure to ask about the memorial to the English soldier killed in the War of 1812 (?). There is a small charge, but so worth it as every penny goes to support the work of Spirits Alive in their efforts to preserve this historic treasure. It was a remarkable and memorable experience. Keep up the good work, Ron.

Ran into two volunteers restoring and cleaning headstones and gave me some background. This site was established in 1668 and oldest headstone the volunteers have found is 1717. Most are late 1700's through 1830's. Headstones list name, year of death and age at death. Many are hard to read. Quite the history of this sailing and merchant port.

These little-known tours are wonderful. The guides have a real passion for the place and are extremely knowledgeable. The artwork on the stones is impressive, as is the long history of this special place. It's an added bonus that every penny of the fee for the tour is used by the fabulous volunteers at Spirits Alive to maintain the cemetery (the City does not have the resources to do so). The commitment of that small group of volunteers is amazing!

We had a wonderful time on the guided tour. Oldest cemetery in the city, fascinating look at the early settlers of Portland. I have taken a couple of the tours now and have enjoyed them all.

The tour guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant. He took the time to answer our questions and gave us a good overview of Portland's history in relation to the cemetery. We spent about an hour with the guide/tour and then wandered around looking at the old stones and tombs for another hour or so. Fascinating and good to learn that Spirits Alive is taking steps to preserve this historical site.

Well worth the hour and a half spent one afternoon this week! Backing up a bit; You: Love history especially at the personal level. You hold a curiosity borne of connection between the daily lives of those long gone and the craftsmanship and care expressed in stone in their memory. Or maybe you just never thought of touring an old cemetery and might do this on a whim! All good. There is as noted a fee, but this is for the tour and is highly recommended versus roaming around alone! For that modest fee, (all of which goes to preserving the cemetery, stones, maintenance, documentation surveys, a wide variety of experts and many hours of volunteer time), the stories, the notable and less known permanent residents, the artwork in stone and the craftsmen who practiced those arts, indeed come alive. The day of my visit, I was the only participant; with rain forecast (and later that day, epic downpours), probably kept the groups away. I met Ron Romano, as able an historian and volunteer as you will find, for a general tour of the cemetery as is scheduled on their website. I expressed an interest in the more detailed tour of Bartlett Adams' work. Bartlett Adams was a prolific stone carver and his work peppers Eastern Cemetery. Ron gladly obliged me and offered a deeper history of Bartlett Adams' work, style, finer points of the craft and the history of his family as well. The organization to which Ron belongs and represents, is "Spirits Alive" and are entrusted by the City of Portland with the care of this cemetery. Do note that the site is on a bluff and while more built-up than it was originally, it does get windy and might be chillier than the surrounding blocks. But this, to me, adds to the appeal. Dress appropriately and wear sturdy shoes. The ground is sloped and, in the nature of ancient cemeteries, uneven to the foot.

My brother and I attended the North School (now Apartments) that is located next to the Eastern Cemetery which we would pass on our way to and from school . At that time the cemetery was not open to the public. Fast forward to 2013. Our cousin who is one of the tour guides convinced us to "to take the tour" as he had done a lot of research on Bartlett Adams, an 1800's stone carver who's work is very prominent throughout the grounds. We were amazed to find how tied to our city history this plot of land is. For Portland natives this tour is a must, for visitors and tourist a remarkable attraction.

Make sure you take time out during your stay in Portland, Maine, to take the wonderful tour of Eastern Cemetery. The guides are knowledgeable and friendly, plus you'll meet some fellow tourists (and locals who've never appreciated this gem). There are many notable graves, plus you'll hear wonderful historical tales about the history of Portland. It's inexpensive fun for all history lovers.