Historic cemeteries committee reviews new website pages, plans markers and schedules May volunteer days

The Portsmouth historic cemeteries committee reviewed updated city web pages and mapping for the municipality’s historic burial grounds and discussed producing standardized blue historical markers while confirming volunteer workdays in May.

The committee’s co‑chair said the city “has the landing page for all of the historic cemeteries” and noted individual pages now exist for sites including Cotton, Hall and North Cemetery, with before‑and‑after photos being added to the site. The co‑chair asked the group to consider one marker explaining the distinction between city‑maintained and privately maintained cemeteries and requested a draft marker text and a map showing key burials and sections.

The committee also reviewed an updated rack card and distribution plan for printed materials. Stephanie Secor, the city’s public information officer and note‑taker, confirmed the rack card’s QR code now works and said the map was built with GIS specialist Jamie McCarti so visitors can locate sites on their phones. Members discussed distribution points including the chamber visitor center, the public library, the senior center and the Discover Center; the committee noted they printed about 1,000 cards in the last cycle.

Members received status updates on maintenance work. The chair reported that seawall repairs at North and Union cemeteries were completed last summer by the Department of Public Works under a New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services permit. The committee flagged recent damage at the Point of Graves wall, saying a vehicle impact last winter required temporary safety jersey barriers and that DPW will provide a fuller report at the next meeting.

The group discussed memorial and headstone projects. The committee noted that a plaque for Woodbury Langden in North Cemetery had been approved previously and that organizers are planning a spring unveiling. A family inquiry about a damaged Revolutionary War‑era marker for Thomas (transcript lists as “Thomas Ayes/Neil,” 1763–1819) prompted committee members to say they will look for the missing piece once snow melts; the chair said more significant restoration would fall to the family to fundraise.

The committee confirmed volunteer projects coordinated with Serve With Liberty for May 8 and May 15, set for 9 a.m. to noon with about 12 volunteers each day. Tasks identified include repainting railings at North and Union cemeteries, with alternatives such as headstone cleaning if weather prevents exterior painting.

On governance and operations, the chair nominated a member identified as “D” for co‑chair and asked members to consider appointing an additional co‑chair to cover upcoming months of remote membership; the committee deferred finalizing leadership until more members can attend in person. Members also raised concerns about timeliness of agenda and minutes distribution during an administrative transition; the chair acknowledged the lapse and committed to restoring prior distribution practices. The committee discussed transcription tools (Zoom versus Microsoft/Teams) and the tradeoffs of automated transcripts versus manual editing for minutes.

The meeting concluded after a brief non‑substantive anecdote and a motion to adjourn.