Porter Cemetery, which was hit by vandals last year, now has a new fence and sign.
RUMFORD – One of the oldest cemeteries in Rumford now has a clearly posted name and fence thanks to the Rumford Historical Society.
The Porter Cemetery on Hancock Street is the burial site for some of the town’s earliest settlers, including the Porter family. Some of the stones date back to the early 1820s, said Dennis Breton, a director of the society’s board.
A white picket fence was installed by Jim Knight last month. A black, white and gray sign was designed and created by Erik Designs, and put up last week. Total cost for the project was more than $1,500, paid by the society.
“We wanted to identify it as a cemetery,” said Breton.
The Porter Cemetery was the target of vandals last year when several stones were knocked over or damaged. The town paid for the restoration. And already, since the fence has been erected, four slats have had to be replaced due to vandalism, Bill Weston said.
The Porter family settled in what was then known as Rumford Falls in the late 1700s. Besides the cemetery, the family name has graced Porter Street and the Porter Covered Bridge.
The bridge across the Swift River once was near the far end of the Hosmer Field complex. It was washed away in a storm in the early 1900s, said Breton.
A photograph of Weston and Breton with the fence and sign will become part of the town’s annual report next year.
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