The Town of Warren cordially invites our community members and descendants of the Peterborough Community to attend a Veterans memorial monument dedication ceremony to be held at the Peterborough Cemetery on Saturday, October 28th at 11:00 AM. This monument is dedicated to the Veterans from the Peterborough Community and those who served our country during the following conflicts: American Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I and the Korean War.
A reception will be held following the ceremony at the Knox Museum in Thomaston. The Town of Warren is indebted to John Meyn, for his commitment and dedication to recognize and honor the Veterans of the Peterborough Community.
The community of Peterborough started with the family of Amos and Sarah Peters, both born slaves outside of Maine. Amos served in the American Revolutionary War, had earned his freedom with his service and moved to Maine after its ending. Sarah had been brought to Maine as a slave by Captain Brown in Damariscotta in 1783, and then sold to Captain McIntyre of Warren. After about a year of servitude with Captain McIntyre, she had learned that all slaves had been freed in Massachusetts as well as the District of Maine. Sarah won her freedom after paying $1.00 to a representative, Mr. P. Pebbles, who helped sanction her rights to emancipation.
Amos Peters was deeded 150 acres of land by South Pond in Warren by General Henry Knox around 1781, where he and Sarah settled for the remainder of their lives. Both Amos and Sarah are buried within Peterborough Cemetery in unmarked graves. Although the oldest stone dates to the 1850’s, it is likely that the earliest use was in the 1820’s. It is noted for its many field stone headstones and may have up to 100 unmarked graves. This has also been called the Peters, Petersburg and Peterboro Cemetery.
Through time, Peterborough grew and became one of Maine’s largest African American communities. But by the 1950’s the community had dwindled and the last of its residents left. This cemetery is all that remains as a testament to a once thriving and vibrant community.
The Peterborough Cemetery is located on Bunker Hill Road in Warren, about 1.3 miles west from Rt. 1.
FMI please contact Amanda Shelmerdine, Sexton at sexton@warrenmaine.org or 207-975-6566
Editor's Note: This cemetery has been mostly used for the local African-American community, which is considered to have been the largest in Maine. There are probably over 100 unmarked graves going back to the 1820's - oldest stone is in the 1860's. See Warren Cemeteries 1735-1985 by Leland Overlock. A transcript of burials is maintained in our MOCA archives, available to all members. Anyone interested in volunteer opportunities to update existing archival records should contact the MOCA Cemetery Records Committee.
