09/10/2026
Boston Tea Party Event
The Stewards of the Western Cemetery are pleased to announce a special event at Western Cemetery on October 8 at 3 PM.
One of the significant events in the lead up to the American Revolution was the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The Boston Tea Party Museum has been identifying participants in the Tea Party and placing commemorative grave markers at their graves. They have placed over 130 markers since 2018, and recently identified a tea party participant buried at Western Cemetery. He is the only Tea Party participant so far identified who is buried in Portland.
Richard Hunnewell, Jr. was just 16 years old when he went with his father and brother to destroy tea in Boston Harbor in the event which led to the American Revolution. Mr. Hunnewell later served in the Revolution and moved to Maine by 1788, settling in Portland by 1800, serving as Sheriff of Cumberland County. Later in life, he also served in the War of 1812.
Representatives of various historic associations will be attending this unique event on October 8 ay 3 PM. The public is invited.
More info:
https://westerncemetery.me/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Portland-Maine-Grave-Marker-Outreach-2026.pdf
