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Honoring Revolution

Local DAR Chapter takes great step forward in honoring veterans buried at Whitestown

Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton The Old Whitestown Cemetery in Garland.

A multi-year project to honor the Revolutionary War veterans in a Garland Cemetery has taken a giant step forward.

“After nearly three years of research, applications, and fundraising, the Daughters of the American Revolution, General Joseph Warren chapter, has completed the order for a monument to honor the veterans buried at, or nearby, the Old Whitestown Cemetery in Garland, PA,” Sam Brawand, DAR chapter secretary, said.

That cemetery holds a higher rate of Revolutionary War veterans than anywhere else in the county.

Five Revolutionary veterans were confirmed via grave stones – John Long, George Long, Solomon Miles, Hugh McGuire and Giles White.

Other unconfirmed names thought to be buried there or nearby include William Carpenter, John McGuire, Darius Mead, Jr. and Thomas Page.

Photo submitted to the Times Observer A graphic showing the design of the monument to be placed at the Old Whitestown Cemetery.

A plaque proposal also recognizes the men buried at Whitestown who served in the War of 1812 ? John Brown, David Long, Hugh McGuire, Jr., Alexander Wilson, Samuel Wilson and William White.

The local chapter worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Pittsfield Township to install new grave stones for several of those men last year.

“The American granite chosen will match closely these new stones and it will be approximately 5.5 feet tall when complete,” Brawand said. “We will be meeting at the cemetery in the next few weeks with the St. Marys Monuments designers, chapter members, and Craig Allen (Pittsfield Township secretary) to decide on the exact placement. The monument company will complete all installation duties. We had an anonymous donor that has provided the last $500 needed for the project!”

The project included over 800 pages of research and documentation and over 1,000 fundraising letters.

Brawand said that the chapter “went through several designs” in conjunction with the National Society DAR.

Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Giles White, a Revolutionary War veteran and an early settler of Garland, is buried at the Old Whitestown Cemetery.

“For some of the soldiers, whose birth and death dates could not be confirmed to their specifications, they have requested we place their names under a heading of ‘Early Settlers,'” Brawand said. “The monument, with base will be placed in the middle of the new stones provided by the VA this past summer.”

She said that any formal dedication will be postponed until it is safe given the COVID-19 pandemic.

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