Portsmouth committee adds cemetery repairs to long-term projects, schedules volunteer cleanups ahead of 250th

At a meeting of the Portsmouth Boards & Commissions, members reviewed cemetery maintenance needs, set volunteer cleanup dates with Liberty Mutual and added broken or buried headstones to the committee's long-term project list.

The committee discussed how to handle repairs that require research or excavation versus routine reports. Members agreed the city's Click & Fix reporting tool is useful for visible, short-term issues (graffiti, a headstone found broken in situ) but is not appropriate for complex cases that may require digging or archival work; those items will be tracked on the long-term project list instead.

Committee members noted a committee estimate that about 500 headstones in North Cemetery will require repair or strengthening. The committee added a specific broken headstone for Thomas Ayers/Neil (listed in Find A Grave) to the project list so staff can research burial records and locate missing fragments where possible.

The group confirmed two volunteer days with Liberty Mutual for May 8 and May 15. The plan is to repaint certain features and perform headstone cleaning; if temperatures or rain threaten paint adhesion, the work will shift to cleaning only. The committee discussed supplies, signage and taking photographs of the volunteer work for city and partner publicity.

The meeting also addressed an installed-but-not-yet-unveiled plaque for Woodbury Langden that must be installed by June 10 under the sponsor's timeline (referred to in the meeting as the "D" process). The committee agreed to verify the family's approval, coordinate with the city contact at North Cemetery and proceed with scheduling the installation; an unveiling ceremony may be set later.

Members reviewed a recently revised rack card (visitor map) for distribution at the visitor center, library and city hall. The map and QR code were adjusted so more street names are visible; members asked staff to circulate the updated proof for a final review before printing.

Committee members also discussed opportunities to involve Portsmouth High School students for volunteer credit and the civic-education value of sharing historic context during cleaning events. The committee noted broader 250th-anniversary programming in the city, including a revived Memorial Day parade and related events coordinated with Strawberry Bank and the Historical Society.

Procedural note: members moved to accept the minutes of the Feb. 5 meeting; the motion was seconded and carried. The next meeting is scheduled for May 7, and the committee adjourned.

Details drawn from committee discussion: Click & Fix is to be used for short-term or easily-closed reports; long-running repair needs will be tracked on the committee's project list. The committee will follow up to confirm the source of the 500-stone estimate and to gather documentary evidence for any proposed repair work.