Honoring Maine’s Patriots for America’s 250th Anniversary

As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2026, MOCA invites members and volunteers to help preserve the memory of Maine’s Revolutionary War veterans through the Revolutionary War Patriot Burials Project.

A Legacy of Preservation

The project began during the 1976 Bicentennial as the Bicentennial Inscription Project (BIP) — a statewide effort involving more than 200 researchers who documented the burial sites of Maine’s Revolutionary War veterans. Their work was computer-indexed and shared across libraries, with original research notes archived in the Raymond H. Fogler Library Special Collections at the University of Maine, Orono.

Following decades of preservation, MOCA digitized the data from deteriorating microfiche records. In 2005, Donna and Norm Conley converted the information into a searchable spreadsheet, and in 2021, the entire index — now including more than 7,500 veterans — was made accessible online.

Renewed for the 250th Anniversary

For the Semiquincentennial, MOCA is expanding the project to update and enhance this historic record. Volunteers across Maine are encouraged to help by:

• Identifying burial locations not yet recorded
• Verifying existing gravesites
• Submitting photographs of Patriot gravestones
• Adding biographical and family information

How to Participate

Visit the Revolutionary War Patriot List on MOCA’s members website. Search by veteran name or town, view a Patriot’s profile, and use the “Your Suggestions Welcome!” link to share updates, photos, or additional details.

Keeping the Legacy Alive

Every contribution helps ensure that the names and stories of Maine’s Revolutionary War patriots remain remembered and honored as our nation marks 250 years of independence.

Join us — and help keep the spirit of 1776 alive,
one gravestone at a time.