Rockland – Rockland's Tolman Cemetery received a new monument and three new plaques in a dedication ceremony on Sunday, September 16. One of the plaques recognized Isaiah Tolman for his patriotic service during the revolutionary war.

Tolman Cemetary is the resting place of 24 Revolutionary War veterans. The Lady Knox Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has completed a two year restoration of all gravestones at Tolman Cemetery.

In 1783 Isaiah Tolman deeded an acre of his land for a public cemetery.

Mary Kay Felton, Regent of Lady Knox Chapter, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution said the plaque for Tolman was a re-dedication, and that another plaque listed the names of 21 Revolutionary War Veterans and was placed in 1947.

In the 70 years since the plaque was placed at the cemetery, it was discovered that three additional soldiers’ remains from the Revolutionary War had been interred there, and an additional plaque including all 24 names would be dedicated as well.

Kate Marshal is from Nevada and is a member of the Rockland DAR chapter. What started as a journey to find relatives buried at Tolman Cemetery began the two year effort to restore the cemetery.

"My mother in law had told me we had relatives buried here and when we found the cemetery it was in incredible disrepair," she said. "I asked the person on Find-a-Grave who had taken a photo of my ancestor’s stone how I might repair it."

Marshal was told that there were people in the cemetery who were not recognized on the memorial done by the WPA and the DAR in the 1930's and 1940's.

Marshal asked, "since the cemetery is in such disrepair why aren't we repairing the whole cemetery? Worse if people are buried here and not recognized, we are passing them by and they are forgotten."

The city of Rockland told Marshal if they could raise $5,000 the city would match it.

"And so began this incredible project of gathering up the fragments that nothing be lost," said Marshal. "Many of the stones were in pieces. Some were laying flat and the earth was overgrowing it. Some stones were covered in earth and you couldn't see them, but there was something hard under the ground and they had to be dug out."

Marshal pointed out a stone that looked like a kaleidoscope of pieces that had been shattered and pieced back together.

"There's a stone over there that was broken and cement had been poured over it, "she said. "They literally had to chip it out."

Marshall pointed out that you see a lot of Thomaston marble in the headstones and they reflect the designs of the time to honor those interred.

Fenton said the project was a collaboration of many people and many businesses to make it all come together. Countless volunteer hours, and countless volunteers were involved including the Rockland Cemetery Association and Maine Cemetery Association, as well as DAR chapters from Maine and across the country.