To spot the Eastern Cemetery, look for a sweeping field of old gravestones ringed by black iron fencing and a solid stone wall, with an entrance on Congress Street-right in front of you lies the city’s oldest resting ground, along a grassy slope dotted with trees and scattered monuments.
Now, take a moment to soak in the atmosphere-there’s a certain quiet grandeur to this place, where history comes with a few extra goosebumps. Established way back in 1668, the Eastern Cemetery is Portland’s oldest historic site and, quite frankly, one of its most fascinating. Over 4,000 marked graves fill this seven-acre triangle at the foot of Munjoy Hill, with perhaps thousands more souls resting in unmarked plots beneath the grass. You’re standing on the edge of centuries, where Portland’s very first settlers, sailors, merchants, and many, shall we say, colorful characters ended up.
Let your imagination wander as you take in the gentle slope and the scattered grave markers, some leaning forward as if straining to share their owners’ stories. Near the main entrance, there’s the modest little Dead House-don’t let the name fool you, it’s really just a nondescript shed from 1871. On a chilly winter day long ago, grieving families would use it to temporarily store caskets when the Maine ground was too hard to dig graves. You can almost picture the frost on the windowpanes and hear the crunch of boots on icy ground. But if you visit in the summer, you’ll see tours led by the spirited volunteers of Spirits Alive, a group committed to bringing the cemetery’s tales into the daylight-just minus the spookiness, I promise!
The cemetery itself is a patchwork of stories. In 1890, Portland’s city engineer mapped out 12 tidy sections, each one crammed with its own cluster of headstones. Look for the monument with a soldier’s bedroll on top-that’s the Stinson Monument. It honors Sergeant Alonzo P. Stinson, the first Portlander to fall in the Civil War. Though he died far from home, his memory rests right here, marked by a granite and bronze cenotaph waving little American flags. Talk about coming home in style!
But the drama doesn’t end there. On a rise, side by side, lie two captains-Lt. William Ward Burrows II and Commander Samuel Blyth-one American, one British, both killed in the same naval smackdown off the Maine coast during the War of 1812. Their funeral must have been a showstopper: imagine a grand procession winding through Portland, the whole city gathered to witness two former enemies receive equal honors, all rivalry set aside. As a bonus, a third officer who died of wounds from that very battle joined them two years later-the ultimate sailor’s reunion.
Eastern Cemetery reveals Portland’s deeper tales too. Some parts were set aside for Black residents, Quakers, Catholics, paupers, and “strangers.” Over time, investigators like historian Ron Romano uncovered sections once hidden to official records. The cemetery grew until it simply couldn’t hold any more. By the mid-1800s, larger cemeteries opened, and burials here practically stopped-though that didn’t prevent over 700 families from relocating their loved ones up the road, hoping for roomier or less ghostly accommodations.
Probably the oldest marked grave you’ll find is that of Mistress Mary Green, dating from 1717-though given the cemetery opened in 1668, who knows what secrets lie beneath your shoes. There’s also the final resting place of Commodore Edward Preble, a naval hero, and Captain Lemuel Moody, who built the Portland Observatory you’ll see later in our tour.
Some markers are works of art themselves, thanks to Bartlett Adams, Portland’s first tombstone carver. He created nearly 700 here, many elaborate and full of detail. If you spot a particularly ornate stone, there’s a good chance it’s one of his.
This place is part garden, part puzzle, and completely alive with stories, thanks to groups like Spirits Alive who preserve its quiet dignity. And speaking of alive, don’t linger too long-otherwise, I’ll have to start making ghost jokes! Off we go to the next stop, but remember, every stone here has a tale fit for a blockbuster (if only Hollywood did 17th-century Portland).
Seeking more information about the mary green's headstone, the captains' graves or the notable burials? Ask away in the chat section and I'll fill you in.
