Maine World War I Memorial Inventory

Occasioned by the centennial of World War I (2014-2019), and based on the initial fall 2014 semester research of my HTY 394: World War I: Culture, Politics, and Memory students, who embarked upon a project to identify and document Maine’s World War I Memorials, this digital humanities project will result in an interactive website that documents and maps Maine’s World War I memorials. Utilizing the considerable data we have gathered, the website will contain an interactive map that “pins” the location of each monument/memorial, as well as include informative research and narrative historical context about the format and design of the memorial, who designed and erected the memorial, when it was erected, the inscriptions included on the memorial, who maintains the memorial, and those honored on/by the memorial. It is our aim that for each memorial documented that we will also include historic and contemporary photographs and/or other forms of visual documentation. This digital commons site (updated frequently) is a repository of the data we have collected thus far. Organized initially by county, and then by city/town, if you click on the links below, you can learn more about Maine’s many World War I memorials and monuments. We seek to promote an increased civic awareness regarding the role of the United States in World War I, and we hope the project will help to shed light upon a war (and those who fought in it) often overshadowed in American History (especially by the Civil War and World War II). The eventual website will be engaging and designed with the general public in mind— a lasting contribution to celebrating and preserving Maine’s history. If you have any questions or would like to offer further information on any of the memorials, please contact the project manager Professor Libby Bischof at elizabeth.bischof@maine.edu.