WATERFORD — The Waterford Historical Society will host its September program on Thursday, Sept. 19 from 1-3 p.m. at the Woodlawn Cemetery, on Five Kezars Road in North Waterford. The “Cemetery Walk” will begin by gathering near the cemetery iron fence, about one-half mile west of Rte. 35, for a historical overview of Woodlawn and the other Waterford cemeteries. Following this orientation, attendees will be guided in an exploration of the cemetery grounds, remembering the contributions of the many residents interred there.

The historic Woodlawn Cemetery was established some 225 years ago and is the final resting place of many of Waterford’s earliest citizens, and particularly those who settled in North Waterford. The cemetery has remained in continuous use since that time. Among the many notable persons and families buried in the cemetery are veterans of the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and all wars since. Woodlawn is the home of the oldest recorded grave in Waterford, that of Ruth Pearson, who died in 1790. Many of the gravestones in the peaceful cemetery are representative of the beautiful carvings and artwork common in 19th-century burial grounds.

This event is the fourth in a series of programs organized by the Waterford Historical Society offered monthly through November. The Woodlawn Cemetery Walk is free, and the public is enthusiastically invited to attend. Footwear appropriate to the hillside terrain is recommended. A complete schedule of events and further information about the WHS are available at waterfordme.org, or on the Waterford Maine Historical Society page on Facebook.