Guest Blogger: Kim Smith

You want me to do WHAT? Take a guided walking tour of a CEMETERY?

Some people find cemeteries creepy and only go there if they absolutely must. However, for others, a cemetery, especially a garden cemetery like historic Fairmount Cemetery in Presque Isle, it is a treasure trove of history and beauty. Loren Rhoads, author of 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die, makes a great case for going out of your way to see burial grounds. Rhoads believes cemeteries “add depth to travel that you can’t find anywhere else” and says they are “open-air museum full of art and history and stories…”

This is certainly the case with historic Fairmount Cemetery. Fairmount Cemetery was established in 1864 by a group of local businessmen. It is the largest cemetery north of Bangor and covers 30 acres. Although it was opened in the 1860s, you will find gravestones dated 1810 and 1825. These individuals were re-interred after the opening of this cemetery. Fairmount currently contains 10,000 burial plots of which 6,000 are full.

Because this cemetery was in operation during the Victorian era (roughly 1837 to 1910), there are numerous Victorian symbols throughout and especially on the older gravestones. In addition, Fairmount is the location of Presque Isle’s Civil War monument. It is one of the oldest Civil War monuments in Maine as most went up after the turn of the century, but this one was erected in 1873.

Fairmount has a great deal of local history to tell. Every tombstone has a story waiting to be discovered and Presque Isle Historical Society loves to help you do so! Join the Society for scheduled tours on Fridays beginning at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Civil War monument on May 11, June 8, July 13, August 10, and September 7. Tickets are only $5.00 per person. Fairmount Cemetery is located on US Route 1 just south of the city at 2 Houlton Road. Free parking is available across the street in the Chamber of Commerce parking lot.

Private tours may also be arranged for groups of five or more on other days and times. For a list of all of the Society’s tours and programs, visit www.pihistory.org or call (207) 762-1151.