Charles Pine and the Scarborough Museum

I love helping Find-a-Grave. So, when I saw a request for a marker at the nearby Dunstan Cemetery I was happy to try to photograph the marker. It was even more exciting because my wife’s favorite beach and the road we live along (Pine Point) were named after that individual, Charles Pine. Charles Pine came to Scarborough about 1702 and died in Scarborough in 1753, so he was definitely one of the early settlers of Scarborough, Maine.

The entry for Charles “The Indian Fighter” Pine on Find-a-Grave was substantial[i]. Not only were his birth and death dates provided but also his children’s names and it indicated that he was buried at Dunstan Cemetery. Dunstan Cemetery is a modest size but still has over 1300 internments so it would be easy to miss a marker. Also, I was afraid that a 260-year-old burial might not still be marked. So, I thought I’d see what the Scarborough Museum (and Scarborough Historical Society) has that might help me. I recently began volunteering there and figured that finding Charles Pine’s marker would be a good little project to help me start learning about the resources at the museum.

I asked one of the other volunteers if they had anything showing the plots and markers for Dunstan Cemetery. She showed me a bookcase and said to look there. Sure enough, there was the perfect book, Dunstan Cemetery Records, Scarborough, ME ©1985 by Thomas Shaw Henley & Steven J. Bentley[ii]. What a fantastic book – and it is indexed. A quick look at the indexes and I immediately saw that Charles Pine was not listed. I did see the note that said, “There are many lots without stones at the cemetery and without records at town hall.” I thought, that’s that; no marker remains. Then I had another idea.

I had seen a large two-volume notebook, titled, “Cemeteries of Scarborough” ©1997 by Janice Makowski at the museum. I thought, “Maybe there is something in there,” so I gave it a quick look. There was Charles Pine, same death date as on Find-a-Grave; however, it said he was in Cemetery #56, “Pine Cemetery.” Apparently, Charles Pine, for whom Pine Point was named for, is buried near Broadturn Road, on the left, just before you cross the Nonesuch River. Ms. Makowski’s notes were extremely detailed as to exactly where the burial ground is located. Apparently, Charles is the only person interred there and two marker rocks, which contain no inscriptions, identify his burial plot.

She also had copies of pages from the 1925 book, Grandfather Tales of Scarborough that included a photo of the stones[iii]. So, now I know Charles Pine isn’t buried at Dunstan Cemetery. The next time I drive up Broadturn Road on a nice dry day, I’ll try to stop and try to get a modern picture of the two Charles Pine grave marker rocks. Hopefully, they are still there and I can find them.

My volunteer time at the Scarborough Museum provided me access to resources that saved me time on my Find-a-Grave volunteering. I also learned a lot about Charles Pine, a definite “Ancestor of Place.” That’s a win-win.

Have you considered volunteering at your local museum or historical society? Not only will it help them, you might find it will help you understand the land better, regardless if you grew up there or if you are “from away.”