Maine Town Offers $2K Reward for Info About Cemetery Vandals

Montville-area residents are offering a $2,000 reward after historic grave stones were heavily damaged by vandals.

Montville, Maine Cemetery Grave Stones and Veterans' Flags Were Destroyed

What kind of person goes into a cemetery and topples grave stones, destroys markers dating back more than a century, and rips up American flags commemorating Veterans who served as far back as the Revolutionary War?

There's no such thing as a good act of vandalism. But some are just despicable. And, in my opinion, this one tops the list.

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The Montville Cemetery Committee says 40 historic grave stones were vandalized at the Halldale Cemetery in Montville. Stones dating back to the 1800s were tipped over and, in many cases, broken, snapped, and crushed.

Now, a $2,000 reward is being offered by the town for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for destroying the historic stones.

Vandalized Montville, Maine Cemetery Has Veterans' Stones Dating Back to the 1800s

As with all acts of vandalism, someone else has to clean up the mess and deal with what it will cost. But, for a small Maine town like Montville, that's money and manpower they just can't afford.

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So, the Montville Cemetery Committee is asking for help.

Some of the stones can just be reset, but others will require the hiring of experts, which will add to the expense, as will the cost of specific mortars and other supplies needed to complete the task.

Montville, Maine, Grave Stones Will Cost Tens of Thousands of Dollars to Repair

A restoration consultant has told the committee that it will take approximately $10,000 each for the replacement of three of the larger stones, and $800 to $3,000 each for the resetting and repair of the stones that can be fixed.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the Halldale Cemetery Association's Restoration Fund. A goal of $50,000 has been set. They hope everyone considers giving what they can. Every donation, big or small, will help them in their noble mission.