Seasonal Activities Begin at Western Cemetery

Seasonal Activities Begin at Western Cemetery

By W. John Funk, President

Now that spring is here, the Stewards of the Western Cemetery, Inc. is preparing for our third year of outside activities. There will be a tour on May 4th at 2 p.m. Regular tours will begin in June on Sundays and continue through October. Work parties will convene on weekends to continue our cleanup of the cemetery and the restoration of the more than 800 gravestones damaged by the elements or vandalism.  And Joe Ferrannini,  a nationally known conservator, will return in late June to train volunteers in how to clean, repair, and rebuild these gravestones. We are excited for the season to begin!

Our capital campaign is off to great success. 

We are already halfway to our goal of $250,000 with donations and pledges and are actively pursuing grants! We are able now to move forward with the construction of the tool house, the extension of the water line, and the relocation of the flagpole. Both the Parks Department and the Historic Preservation Board have approved the tool house design. We are working with the city to solicit bids for the work.  Once we raise an additional $50,000, we will be able to move forward with the fence along the Western Promenade. 

Volunteer with us!

The Stewards now has a website: westerncemetery.me. We will maintain a schedule of events on the website and periodically post information and pictures to keep you up to date. Also, we have numerous opportunities for volunteer work – tour guides, gravestone cleaning and repair, landscaping, historical research, and social media outreach. We welcome your involvement. And, as you enjoy the beautiful and enriching environment, you’ll be able to point to some of the fruits of your labor!

If you haven’t already donated to our capital campaign, please consider doing so now.  Also, we need annual funding to pay for operational expenses (approximately $12,000). Donations can be made directly online on our website. Also, checks can be mailed to our post office box at:

Stewards of the Western Cemetery, Inc.
622 Congress St., Suite 9998 #5267
Portland, ME 04102