Cemeteries

Here Lies Our History

There are over 40 cemeteries within the Town of Gouldsboro — large, small, old, new, and everything in between. Some are well-maintained, some have been abandoned. They are important places that hold the stories and members of the many families that settled and sustained our community since the late 1700s. As more people have become captivated by tracing their ancestors, they turn to old cemeteries for clues — if they can find them. Once these places are lost, so is a part of our history.

The map below shows the 41 known cemetery locations in the Town of Gouldsboro. If you have a general idea of the location of a grave or cemetery you are trying to find, browse the map. Enlarge it to see more of the names. Then click on the numbered green circle to see a particular cemetery’s name and number (most also include a photo near the entrance) in the panel that opens to the left. Once you know the name of the cemetery you are searching for, follow the link in the alphabetical list beneath the map for more information, including directions, map to the cemetery, photos, and any transcriptions we have collected.

Preservation

When you come across an old cemetery overgrown with vegetation, stones toppled over, it’s very tempting to just dive in with mowers, brushes, buckets of detergent, and get to work. PLEASE DON’T! Instead, check out our Preservation page for more information and helpful guidance on preserving these stones for generations to come.

Workshops

Ready to get to work? The best way to start is to attend a workshop to learn from someone trained in Preservation best practices for old gravestones. The Maine Old Cemetery Association offers them and GHS does too when there is sufficient local interest.

More Resources

There is no substitute for hands-on experience, but there are plenty of resources available online (good and bad). This page will direct you to some of the best.