Searsport in Waldo County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)
Civil War Soldiers' Monument / Monumnet aux soldats et La Guerre de Sécession
Searsport, Maine
— The Museum in the Streets —
Originally erected in 1870 between Mt. Ephraim and Goodall Streets, this monument displays the names of 18 fallen Searsport men. It was dismantled in 1896 and moved to the current location in front of the new Masonic and Odd Fellows building, where a hall had been reserved for veterans of the Grand Old Republic. When reassembled the two marble tablets, inscribed with the names of 18 Searsport soldiers who died in the war, were turned inward. Local legend claimed that one of the tablets had been engraved with the name of a living man who had paid a volunteer to enlist in his place. The enlistee was killed but the name engraved was the surviving individual. Subsequent research in 1982 by Charlene Knox Farris revealed legend to be fact. On July 4, 1990, with the help of Masonic Secretary Stanley Schofield, the tablets were again reversed at a town re-dedication ceremony. The photos show the original and relocated sites and a reserved seat ticket for the unveiling of the 1870 monument.
Erected 2009 by The Museum in the Streets®. (Marker Number 1.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the The Museum in the Streets®: Searsport, Maine series list. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1879.
Location. 44° 27.533′ N, 68° 55.457′ W. Marker is in Searsport, Maine, in Waldo County. Marker is at the intersection of East Main Street (U.S. 1) and Elm Street, on the right when traveling east on East Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Searsport ME 04974, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Liberty Tree Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Main Street, 1875 (within shouting distance of this marker); Making a Living / Gagner sa vie (within shouting distance of this marker); Union Hall (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Peter Ward, Ship Carpenter: Living and Working in a Neighborhood of Artisans (about 400 feet away); Early Banking / Les premières banques (about 500 feet away); The Growth of Ship Building: Isaac Carver / Le développement des chantiers navals : Isaac Carver (about 600 feet away); First Day at Central School: Circa 1900 / Premier jour d'école : Central school ca. 1900 (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Searsport.
More about this marker. Marker #1 (of 17) in "The Museum in the Streets". The text on the Marker is in English, followed by a French translation.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 3, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2011, by James True of Newark, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 962 times since then and 2 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 30, 2011, by James True of Newark, New Jersey. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on May 13, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Transcription of the French text • Can you help?