Safford Tomb

Western Cemetery Reconstruction Project Fall 2003

A-20 Safford - Hall Tomb Twelve Portland Pier was built in 1859 by the shipping merchants Hosea I. Robinson (1817 - 1883) and William Safford (1812 - 1885) who used it for the West Indies maritime trade. It is one of the few such buildings remaining in Portland and is an example of transitional Greek Revival-Italianate style, surviving without significant exterior change.Link
October 29, 2003 Straight lines once again. The side of the tomb is together.
October 4, 2003	October 29, 2003
Oct 4, 2003	October 29, 2003.
October 23, 2003 Snow and rain showers slow down the progress. The work crew made a plastic tent and heated the stonework to continue on the project.
Plastic tent to continue the project	Inside the tent
Heating the stonework.	Snow in the graveyard
October 22, 2003 All the granite on the right side of the tomb has been removed and reconstruction has begun. Ryan, the job foreman, told me that there was little to no mortar between the stones and he is worried that the mortar they need to put in will add up and by the time they have replaced the granite they will be higher than it should be.
October 22, 2003 The granite lay in the position it was removed.	October 22, 2003 taken just after the crew had left for the day at 4:00pm. The first three rows at the bottom have been put back in place.
October 16-17, 2003 The left side of the tomb has new brick and stone work added and new granite blocks put in place
October 4, 2003. Before any reconstruction. Just after the crew dug away the dirt. October 4, 2003, showing the crumbling condition of the brick and stone work on the left side of the Safford tomb.	October 17, 2003, Jason Flores points up the brick and stone around the new pieces that have just been placed.
October 17, 2003 Dennis J. Sarofeen places cement between the new stonework.	October 17, 2003 Showing the new bricks and granite.
October 17, 2003 Jason Flores and Ryan Jordan guide the placement of the granite stone.	October 17, 2003 Jason Flores works on the stonework. Note the clean lines between the brick and granite.
October 4, 2003- Before Reconstruction
October 4, 2003	October 4, 2003
October 4, 2003	October 4, 2003 Items found in the dirt while digging.