Mj Pettengill

The dedication ceremony was very well-attended. There was amazing music. Those who attended participated by placing a flower upon each grave. It warms my heart to know that there is a monument in place that provides information in regard to those buried at the site. Many thanks to all who supported this long-time goal. We did it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE MEMORIAL WAS CRAFTED BY ARTHUR'S MEMORIAL IN CENTER CONWAY, NH.

Music offerings:  Local Singer-Songwriter,  Anna Trevor;
Violinist - Shelby Trevor; and Vocalist - Mariel Brewster;
The Silver Lake Hospice Singers under the direction of Mary Edes Kull. 

Great Article in The Conway Daily Sun by Tom Eastman

News of the Memorial Dedication Ceremony.    

 

The dedication ceremony was held at the site on Saturday, June 17th at 1:00.  
64 Old Granite Road*,  Ossipee, NH. (Between Routes 16 and 28.)  
*This is the numbered address across from the cemetery.
The cemetery does not have a street number.

A simple service included offerings from Mj Pettengill and Mary Edes Kull, and music by local Singer Songwriter - Anna Trevor, Violinist - Shelby Trevor, and Vocalist - Mariel Brewster.

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UPDATE:
We are approaching mid-May (2017), and I am continuing to work with the stonecutter and the County Commissioners' office to learn where the monument will be placed.  After this, I will make known the details of the dedication ceremony.  Again, I thank you for your patience.
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UPDATE:
We are now in the phase where the monument is complete. However, due to usual circumstances, we will have to wait until spring to have it placed and set. All meetings, phone calls, and specifications were met, but the waiting continues. The paupers have been anonymous for over 145 years, so what's another few months?

Again, thanks to all who donated.

I spent several years researching the nineteenth century "Carroll County Farm" in Ossipee, New Hampshire. I was inspired about a decade ago by my discovery of the Pauper Cemetery on Old Route 171 in Ossipee,  which consists of 298 numbered gravestones. This research ended up being my culminating study at Vermont College and a widely read historical novel. 

At first, I was told that the records of those buried at the Pauper Cemetery burned in a fire.  After months of painstaking research, I discovered the names of 268 individuals buried at the site. The burials began in 1870 and although rare, the cemetery is still used today, and those buried there remain anonymous. 

The fruits of my passion and research resulted in the penning of a historical novel, “Etched in Granite.” Originally, my book was going to be non-fiction. However, to reach a broader audience, I decided to craft a cultural narrative — historical fiction. 
    
From the very beginning of this unexpected, rich journey, and in answering the call from beyond the anonymous graves, I planned to have a memorial placed at the site to honor them.

About a year ago, I attended a meeting with the County Commissioners and discussed this plan. They gave their support and approval. I then got permission from the County Farm Superintendent to use a piece of granite from the original foundation of the “County Poor Farm” for this important memorial.

After the financial goal was reached in September, we had yet another meeting and a few rounds of phone calls. The granite was selected and moved to the stonecutter's shop in East Conway, where he affixed the bronze plaque. 

I was ready and willing to trudge out in the snow to unveil the monument, but it doesn't work like that. This has been a great lesson in patience and accepting what I can and cannot change.

What is important is that the paupers are remembered and will be for years to come.
    
Since the publishing of “Etched in Granite,” it has been rewarding to know that genealogists and those seeking previously missing links in their ancestry have been able to locate lost relatives. If you know of someone who may have relatives buried there, please let them know that names and records are now available.
    

Thank you for your interest and support.
       Mj Pettengill