Adding a Child's Name
If you would like to add a cobblestone with a child's name to the Memorial at the base of the Edgartown Lighthouse, please fill in the form (download the .pdf file here) and fax or mail it to the Martha's Vineyard Museum. You can, of course, also access it through the Museum's web site.
The cobblestones are engraved simply with the name of the child. Each stone costs $250; of that amount, $55 is tax-deductible.
On the stone itself, only the name is written, because we wish to remember the children and celebrate their lives, not the dates of their birth or their death.
There are no restrictions on the age of the child nor is a connection to the Vineyard necessary. The death of a child is a tragedy to a parent, no matter the age. None of us expects to outlive our children.
Each granite block is 10 inches long and 7 inches wide. Black ink is used in the engraved area, to ensure that each child's name is clear and readable. The name may be carved in two lines or three.
Stones are usually ordered in the spring and placed at the lighthouse in early summer.
For exact cutoff dates and any questions about the form or adding stones, please contact Betsey Mayhew at the Museum.
There is an annual Ceremony of Remembrance held at the Edgartown lighthouse every year, usually on the second Saturday after Labor Day in September. Take a look at the Events page for more information.
To mail/fax the form or to contact the museum for more information:
Martha's Vineyard Museum (MVM)
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
508-627-4441 telephone
508-627-4436 fax
www.marthasvineyardhistory.org
Email the museum
My web site is independent of the museum. Although I do work closely with them, I do not work for them. Please do not email or send the form to me.