(2017)
Nathan Freeman (1797-1876).
The central monument in Lot No. 167 — an obelisk topped by a funerary urn — honors Nathan Freeman, the president of what became the First National Bank of Provincetown and the donor to the town of what is now called the Freeman Building, 330 Commercial, which was the first home of the Provincetown Public Library. The monument honors many others, too: Mary (Brown) Freeman (1803-1854), who was married to Nathan; and their children, Benjamin F. Freeman (1827-1858), who died far from home, in Cienfuegos, Cuba, on the south coast of the island; Helen (1829-1830); Nathan David Freeman (1831-1888), a banker and the co-proprietor of Freeman & Hilliard, fish dealers and ship agents; and Sylvester (1836-1837); and
Benjamin’s wife, Louise Russell Freeman (±1832-1859), who died just five months after he died in Cuba; and their daughter, Louise Freeman (1858-1859), who died in infancy, just a month after her mother and seven months after her father; and
Nathan D.’s wife, Aphia C. Freeman (±1836-1884); and their daughters, the first Mary H. Freeman (1857-1859), and the second Mary H. Freeman (1861-1864).
Their lovely epitaph is taken from the last line of the last stanza in “The Farewell,” by the Irish poet James Haskins.
Yet darkling as I wander, in gloom of night, away —
Slow seems to rise upon my view, like herald of the day,
A beauteous star: — and as it shines, in radiance o’er the deep,
A still, small voice, is heard from Heav’n — ‘sad mourner! cease to weep.’
¶ Last updated on 24 June 2017.
Provincetown’s Historic Cemteries and Memorials, Key O-2, Page 3.