Edgewood cemetery contains founding father of nation's Navy

By ETHAN HARTLEY
Posted 5/1/19

By ETHAN HARTLEY One of the oft-forgotten perks of living in Rhode Island is that history is all around us. For Cranston residents in Edgewood, a pretty significant piece of history has been discovered, literally, right in their back yards. Cranston

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Edgewood cemetery contains founding father of nation's Navy

Posted

One of the oft-forgotten perks of living in Rhode Island is that history is all around us. For Cranston residents in Edgewood, a pretty significant piece of history has been discovered, literally, right in their back yards.

Cranston Historic Cemetery #36 (CR-036) sits below the street level, off Park Avenue right after you pass Chester Barrows School and right before the service station. You likely never would have known that, as it had been overgrown by vegetation to a point where only a few obelisk-style grave markers were slightly visible.

You certainly never would have known that a man of serious historical significance was interred there either, were it not for the diligent efforts of Gregg Mierka and the small but dedicated group that comprises the Cranston Historical Cemeteries Commission, which Mierka leads as chairman – in addition to his work as the manager of Sprague Mansion with the Cranston Historical Society.

Since last fall, Mierka and the commission have been tidying up the cemetery grounds, unearthing long-buried headstones and restoring them and, most importantly, doing the hardnosed research online and in written records to find out who is actually buried within its confines.

What Mierka discovered, or rather whom he discovered, was enough of a shock to warrant a full-blown dedication ceremony – which is being put on by the Pawtuxet Rangers this Sunday, May 5, at 2 p.m., and is open to all in the general public – to celebrate some of America’s first war heroes and the restoration of their final resting place.

Among the farmers and common workers buried in the lot are four early American military captains, including Johnathan Pitcher, Philip Sheldon, Elisha Arnold and James Hawkins. All served in the Revolutionary War, while some served even before then during the French and Indian War.

Pitcher, notably, has the distinction of being one of the first 17 commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy alongside John Paul Jones, making him one of the founding fathers of the Navy. He captained the sloop ship Providence, which he would use to wage skirmish battles against full-sized British battleships – and with much success, considering he lived until he was 92.

Two of the other captains found within the cemetery belonged to one of the first chartered command units in the country – the Pawtuxet Rangers. Both Elisha Arnold and James Hawkins belonged to the group, and Arnold eventually went on to become commander of the group.

Today’s commander of the Pawtuxet Rangers, Ron Barnes, recalled that the cemetery used to resemble a “jungle,” and Mierka recalls how there were only about seven or eight stones still upright and standing when the group first started working on the project. Now, dozens of stones mark graves of the historical plot – even one that had been smashed into several pieces was standing tall and secured by clamps as it finished being bonded back together. A brand-new, white military headstone for Pitcher stands out immaculately among its aged neighbors.

Barnes and the Pawtuxet Rangers helped put on some finishing touches to the cemetery, and they’ve gone a step farther to put together Sunday’s celebration, which will feature fife and drum from the Rangers, a musket volley in honor of the deceased buried there, and short speeches from keynote speakers. Sen. Jack Reed is expected to attend, as are Mayor Allan Fung and other Cranston officials. It will also feature an unveiling of a special informational board describing those buried.

Mierka is hopeful that Sunday’s ceremony won’t be the last spotlight of attention that is shone on the hallowed grounds of CR-036. Considering the magnitude of Pitcher’s distinction, he believes it may warrant some national recognition as well.

“I view this gravestone as a monument, not just a gravestone,” he said. “This guy is huge. He was right here in Cranston, and nobody knew it.”

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  • KimLorene

    I know exactly where this is...drive by it every day. And, the work that has been done to restore it is amazing. Thank you Thank you Thank you!

    Thursday, May 2, 2019 Report this

  • davebarry109

    Great job. We don't do enough to honor our founders nor showcase our own history.

    Saturday, May 4, 2019 Report this