After more than a year of indecision about the placement of Orono’s restored Civil War monument , the Town of Orono and the Orono Historical Society have mutually agreed to its future location.
The 126 year-old monument honoring the 250 Orono men and boys who fought in the Civil War is coming to rest on a prominent grassy area at the front of Riverside Cemetery on Bennoch Road in Orono. The site is visible, uncluttered, and lends itself to landscaping.
The decision ends more than a year and a half of indecision on where the monument would be placed. The Orono Historical Society raised $25,000 to have the statue, a long-time town landmark repaired and restored, and that work was completed in April 2015. It remained for months, however, in storage at a studio in Argyle as wrangling has continued over placement of the state; it subsequently was stored at the fire station.
The statue, which has been moved several times over the years, most recently had been at Webster Park prior to the work that was done on it. Historical society members, however, say that is not a suitable location for the statue, wanting it someplace that is more high profile and perhaps less susceptible to vandalism. Attempts to place it elsewhere – the Orono Public Library, beside the Town Office, and at the post office – also all were rejected. The agreement to place it at the cemetery recently was reached, however, and the statue will soon be at its new home,
According to an excerpt from Douglas Glanville’s book, Old Orono Oddments, the monument was moved six times after its erection in 1890, in the center of Orono. In one of the moves, it was placed in the back of the Riverside Cemetery, remaining hidden from public view until 1976 when it was transported to Webster Park. It was dismantled in 2008, until it underwent the restoration in 2014-15.
Historical society members said it is fitting that the restored monument be returned to a prominent place near the cemetery where, according to historical records, so many of Orono’s Civil War veterans are buried.

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