South Buxton Cemetery Association

A BRIEF HISTORY

Of

SOUTH BUXTON CEMETERY

The first burials were on the Westerly end of the lot known as the “Meeting House Lot”.  This lot was given to the South Congregational Parish for a Meeting House Lot, and was conveyed on the 8^th of April 1761, by Isaac Hancock to Jeremiah Hill of Biddeford and Joseph Sweet of York and Joseph Woodman of Narragansett No. 1, as a committee of the proprietors.  The lot covers part of the present burying ground and most of the common, being eight rod wide and thirty rods long, making one and one-half acres.

The first addition was a lot of land along the Woodman road, so called, and adjoining the Cemetery.  This was conveyed by Dorcas Brewster and Dorcas C. Brewster to Alex F. Chisolm and John Quimby by their deed dated May 4, 1850, to be held in Trust for Ellis B. Usher and others.

The second addition was a plot across the westerly end for a driveway.  This was given by Cyrus Woodman, Esq.  The date is not available at this time.

A plot of land was bought, on the northerly side, from Mrs. Mary A. Woodman.  This piece is about six and one-half rods wide and contains the lots No. 191 up to 364.  These lots were added in the early 70’s.

In 1886 the rest of the field was bought from Mrs. Mary A. Woodman, and lots No. 365 to 962 inclusive, were surveyed by William Moulton, C. E.  There are still several cores available for burial purposes un-surveyed in the cemetery.

No records of the first burials are available.  But no doubt the proprietors followed the old English custom of burying in the church yard, and it seems when a person died they were buried in any place their friends might choose and most of them had common field stones for headstones.

This lot was used very early in the history of Narragansett No. 1, long before the first meeting house was built.  The present meeting house was built on the site of the first, and human bones were removed from the basement when the furnace was installed.

Te first meeting of the proprietors was held on a call by a Justice of the Peace, as follows:

TO SIMON B. DAVIS, a Justice of the Peace

within and for the County of York at Buxton Lower Corner:

The subscribers, seven in number, of the proprietors of the Cemetery at Buxton Lower Corner, you to issue a warrant to Jacob Rumery, one of said proprietors, for the following objects, to wit:

1^st.       To choose a Moderator

2nd.     To choose a Secretary

3^rd.       To choose a President

4^th.       To choose a Treasurer

5^th.       To choose all other necessary officers.

6^th.       To transact any other business that may legally come before them.

ISAAC MERRILL

MOSES DUNN

JACOB RUMERY

MOSES DAVIS

T.P. WATERHOUSE

JAMES O. A. HANSON

E. G. TARBOX

JONATHAN RUMERY

STATE OF MAINE

YORK, ss.

TO JACOB RUMERY of Hollis in said County,

            One of the proprietors of the Cemetery at Buxton Lower Corner.

GREETINGS:

Whereas Jacob Rumery and six others of said proprietors of said Cemetery have applied to me, Simon S. Davis, Esq, one of the Justices within and for said County, requesting me to issue a warrant to you, the said Jacob Rumery, directing you to call a meeting of said Proprietors for the following objects to wit:

1^st.   To choose a Moderator

2^nd.  To choose a Secretary

3^rd.  To choose a President

4^th.   To choose a Treasurer

5^th.   To choose all other officers.

6^th.   To transact any other business that may legally come before said meeting.

            You are hereby required to notify and warn a meeting of said proprietors according to law, to be held at the Congregational Meeting Hose in Buxton, on Saturday, the thirteenth day of August next, at one o’clock P. M., for the purpose aforesaid, and have you there this warrant with your doings the.

Dated at Buxton this 29^th day of July, A.D. 1859.

            SIMON B. DAVIS,

            Justice of the Peace.

Pursuant to the within warrant to me directed, I have notified the within named applicants to assemble at the time and place and for the purpose therein named by reading said warrant to each applicant in his and hearing.

Dated this 13^th day of August, A.D. 1859

                        JACOB RUMERY

FROM THE RECORDS OF

FIRST MEETING

BUXTON, AUGUST 13, 1869.I

Met according to notice and made choice by ballot of the following persons as Officer of          the Association, viz:

Moses Dunn for Moderator___sworn.

Simon B. Davis for Secretary___sworn.

Moses Dunn for President___sworn.

Perley Emery for Treasurer___sworn.

            On motion to choose Directors, made choice by ballot:  Peter Emery, Stephen H. Berry, Nathan Woodman, D. E. Palmer, H. K. Bradbury,  Moses Dunn,  A. Aron Brooks, Francis Bacon and William Foss.

Voted to adjourn without delay.

This was the first meeting of the Proprietors who formed the organization that took the name of South Buxton Cemetery Association.  This Association became incorporated. under the laws of the State of Maine.  In October of the same year, they settled upon a design for their corporate seal and caused same to be engraved.

From this beginning has grown the well formed organization of today which cares for trust funds and, during the summer season, employs men continuously to care for the yard.

                                    By George E. Sawyer

SOUTH BUXTON CEMETERY SECTIONS

AND THEIR HISTORY

As located from the Tory Hill Church north along Route #112:

                              MOSES DUNN SECTION:    Mr. Moses Dunn was the first President of the association 12-11-1790 to         03-23-1881            and continued in the office for 20 years.

                              OLD YARD:                            This borders the Park section, is divided by a line of trees, and is the older part of the section

                              PARK SECTION:                   This area was a Park for some time, and was divided into

                                                                              lots at a later date.

GEORGE E. SAWYER         Mr. Sawyer was responsible for starting the “Perpetual Care SECTION: 1850 to 1936:      Fund”, and also served as the President for many years.

ARTHUR T SAWYER            Mr. Arthur T. Sawyer was a benefactor who left the SECTION: 1889 to 1979        Cemetery $10,000.00.

REV. PAUL COFFIN DD       This section was named for the Rev. Paul Coffin, a

SECTION: 01-27-1738 to       minister in Buxton, and pastor of the Tory Hill Church

06-06-1821:                            for more than 60 years.  Rev Coffin also gave the Town

                                                of Buxton its name.

MEMORIAL SECTION:         In memory of our loved ones that have gone before us.

HERMAN H. LOCKE:            Named for Herman H. Locke, who served as President

SECTION: 1865-1951            of the association for 29 years.

NORTH SECTION:                The most northerly section in the cemetery.

WOODMAN SECTION:        This section was named for the Woodman Families, who

                                                were early settlers in Buxton.  This section is located across

                                                the Woodman Road from the original cemetery.

SOUTH BUXTON CEMETERY AVENUES

As located from the Tory Hill Church north along Route #112:

JOHN BREWSTER                 Runs parallel to Route #112 in the Moses Dunn section.

AVENUE:                                This avenue was named after the famous deaf mute portrait

                                                painter, who died on 08/13/1854 at age 88.

KATE DOUGLAS                  Named after the author, who lived in the Town of Hollis.

WIGGIN AVENUE:

WOODMAN AVENUE:         Named after the Woodman Families, early settlers in Buxton.

NARRAGANSETT                 Named after Narragansett #1, Buxton’s original name.

AVENUE:

MOUNTAIN VIEW                Named for the view of the mountains, which is now

AVENUE:                                obscured by the trees.

MAPLE AVENUE:                  Named after the beautiful Maple trees that line the avenue.

HERMAN H. LOCKE            Named for Herman H. Locke, who served as President of

AVENUE:                                the association for 29 years.

NORTH AVENUE:                 This avenue runs north between the North and Locke sections.

CHARLES A. PINKHAM      Named for Charles A. Pinkham, who served as President of

AVENUE:                                the association for many years.

SUNSET AVENUE:                This avenue runs along the rear of the cemetery parallel to Route #112.

SOUTH BUXTON CEMETERY AVENUES

As located in the Woodman Section, across Woodman Road from the original cemetery.

REBECCA “BECKY”             Becky served as a Board Member and also as Secretary of

SARGENT AVENUE:             the association for many years.

MARGUERITE A.                   Marguerite served the association for many years, as

WATERMAN AVENUE:        Treasurer, Secretary and Vice-President.  She was the

                                                first woman to serve as Vice-President of the association.

CHARLES S. WRIGHT          This park, located in the center of the “Woodman Section”,

MEMORIAL PARK:               is named for Charles S. Wright, who served as President of the association for many years

BRIEF VIGUETTES OF ADDITIONAL HISTORY

OF POSSIBLE LOCAL INTEREST

Historical Research reveals the following facts about the early “Meetinghouses for the worship of God” which the early settlers of Narraganset, No. 1, voted to have constructed from time to time.

FIRST --- At a meeting held the 11^th day of June 1739 it was voted that “Capt. Nathanael Mighill, Isaac Appleton & Mr. Samuel Chase or the major part of them be a committee to agree with som person or persons to clere som Land on the Westerly end of the first or second Lots Known by the letter D in the first Division in said Township to buld a meeting house on, for the Publick Worship of God of the contents of thirty feet long & twenty-five feet wide & nine feet Stud of hune timber & the roof to be boarded & Short Shin gled & the said Committee are to have Said House well finished fit to preach in by the last day of September which will be in the year 1740.”

Apparently, because of the uncertainties of the French and Indian War etc., this meetinghouse was not really completed till sometime between the 20^thth of April 1743.  It was of course the first one in town. of October 1742, and the 18

SECOND--- At a meeting held July 2, 1760 it was voted --- “That there be a meetinghouse built as soon as may be.”  Under this vote the first frame meetinghouse was built near where the present Tory Hill Meetinghouse now stands.

It is reported that the “Meetinghouse Lot of land on which this meetinghouse was built was conveyed on the 8^th of April 1761 by Isaac Hancock to Jeremiah Hill of Biddeford, Joseph Swett of York, and Joseph Woodman of Narragansett, No. 1 as a committee of the proprietors for the South Congregational Parish.

The lot covers part of the present burying ground and most of the Common, being eight rods wide and thirty rods long.  The first burials were on the Westerly end of this “Meetinghouse Lot.”  No records of the first burials are available.

The meetinghouse was torn down to make room for the present Tory Hill Meetinghouse as we know it today.

THIRD --- The present Tory Hill Meetinghouse was built on the same relative location as the previous one.  It was erected in 1822. 

It is reported that human bones were unearthed beneath the present church when excavations were made to permit putting a furnace in the cellar.

This fact is mentioned here to indicate how very closely the South Buxton “Church Yard” Cemetery is linked to both the early day Church, as well as the present day church, truly a very long period of time.