The Peter Freeman Lot

The Peter Freeman Lot. Warwick Historical Cemetery #26. , The Peter Freeman Lot (Warwick Historical Cemetery #26) is an historic cemetery protected by State and City regulations. The Lot is described as 100 feet by 75 feet in size, containing 22 individuals (with 20 inscribed headstones and one fieldstone). Peter Freeman “traveled from Paris on a ship with the Marquis de Lafayette and fought in the Revolutionary War.” (inscription on headstone) Also buried in the cemetery are William Dawley and William J. Tourgee who served in Company A of the 2nd Regiment of Rhode Island Volunteers during the Civil War., The Peter Freeman Lot is actually located approximately 630 feet north of this location, adjacent to Runway 5-23 within the secure portion of the airfield., The arrangement of headstones and footstones before you is an exact replication of the original location of these monuments. The burial sites themselves have not been disturbed. Granite markers with the inscriptions on the monuments have been set to mark the original burials., The monuments were moved here because the extension of Runway 5 placed the Peter Freeman Lot within the "Object Free Zone" and the "Runway Safety Area" as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). FAA requirements prohibit any objects in these areas from protruding from the ground. Several alternatives were considered, including laying the monuments flat in their original location. Relocation of the monuments to this location was preferred so as to maintain the visual aspect of the original cemetery. , The decision to move the monuments and leave the burials in place was the result of extensive coordination and consultation among the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC), the City of Warwick, and the Warwick Commission on Historical Cemeteries that began with the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement that addressed impacts to the cemetery, and culminated with a Record of Decision and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in compliance with Federal, State, and City regulations., The Timeline , 2011 . The cemetery boundaries are delineated and the location of each monument is recorded and mapped. Five unmarked graves are discovered. , 2011 . Environmental Impact Statement, Record of Decision and MOU are finalized. , 2012-2013 . Research to establish family relationships and identify descendants. , 2014 . Monuments are evaluated to determine the best conservation methods. , 2015 . Monuments requiring treatment are carefully removed. , 2016 . Repair and restoration. The original monuments are set in their new location. , 2017 . Inscribed granite markers are set to mark the original burials.