The first Speaker Series for 2021 is taking place on Tuesday, January 19 at 7pm, hosted on Zoom.

We are thrilled to host an international speaker! Ron Romano, a native of Portland Maine, will present The Billboard Monuments of New England.

An interesting collection of nineteenth century grave-markers exists in the cemeteries of New England.  Called “billboard” monuments by the presenter, they typically consist of large marble slabs held above ground by slotted granite posts.  Used to memorialize families on the horizontal vs. the far more usual vertically-oriented gravemarkers, they were produced only for a few generations.  Rich in images, this  presentation will examine this unique gravestone design and some of the men who made them…and perhaps lead to the discovery of some billboard monuments in Ontario’s cemeteries!

Ron Romano serves both as an officer on the board of the national Association for Gravestone Studies and as historian on the local friends group for Portland’s 350-year old Burying Ground. Author of three cemetery and gravestone-themed books and multiple papers, he is a frequent lecturer on these subjects and had guided countless visitors through Maine’s historic cemeteries.

The event is free to attend, but donations are kindly accepted (suggested $3/person)

Registration is required in advance: