Old Settlers Cemetery (South Portland, Maine)
| Old Settlers Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 The cemetery in 2010, looking north over Casco Bay | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1658 |
| Closed | Yes |
| Location | Southern Maine Community College, 100 Campus Center Drive, South Portland, Maine |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 43°38′44″N 70°13′39″W / 43.64558°N 70.22763°W |
| Type | Historic |
| No. of graves | 18 |
| Find a Grave | Old Settlers Cemetery |
Old Settlers Cemetery, also known as Thrasher Cemetery, is a historic cemetery in South Portland, Maine, United States.[1] South Portland's oldest landmark, dating to 1658,[2] it stands today in the grounds of Southern Maine Community College, adjacent to Willard Beach.[3] There are eighteen marked graves in the cemetery, but it is believed there are several more unmarked burials.[4] The oldest visible burial is that of Ann Simonton, a Scot from today's Argyll and Bute,[5] who died in April 1744. Seven headstones are of members of the Thrasher family, hence the cemetery's alternative name.[4]
The cemetery was abandoned around 1678 due to the outbreak of King Philip's War, which forced locals to flee the area. Nine families returned to the area around the turn of the 18th century, but in 1703 twenty-five of them were killed by a local Native American tribe, and an additional eight were captured.[4]
Re-settlement was again attempted in 1716, this time without conflict.[4]
In 1976, to mark the bicentenary of the United States, the cemetery was refurbished by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, with landscaping and the installation of a new fence.[6]
The cemetery is maintained, on an annual basis, by students of the college.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ "City of South Portland, Maine | Official Website :: Cemetery Information". www.southportland.org. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
- ^ Cemeteries in South Portland, Maine Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine – USM.Maine.edu
- ^ "Cemetery Information – South Portland". Archived from the original on 2011-08-27. Retrieved 2010-09-12. Cemetery Information
- ^ a b c d TheSMCCbeacon (2018-04-10). "Old Settlers Cemetery". The SMCC Beacon. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
- ^ TheSMCCbeacon (2020-11-11). "Old Settlers Cemetery A Hidden Backstory". The SMCC Beacon. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
- ^ The Bicentennial of the United States of America: A Final Report to the People · Volume 4. American Revolution Bicentennial Administration. 1977.
- ^ WellsLeader/Sentry, Alexis (2022-06-02). "Osewantha Garden Club plans annual summer events". Press Herald. Retrieved 2022-08-18.