SACO — Tucked away off Ferry Road is Rendezvous Point Cemetery.

Rendezvous Point is the oldest cemetery in Saco, and perhaps the oldest in York County, according to Herbert Jones’ book, “King’s Highway from Portland to Kittery.” Rendezvous Point, where the cemetery is located, is so named because it is said to have been a rendezvous, or meeting place, for American Indians when they were the only inhabitants of the area, according to Jones’ book.

Among those laid to rest in the cemetery are Thomas Lewis and Captain Richard Bonython, who in 1629 received land grants for what is now Saco. The cemetery was deeded to the city in 1828 by James Coffin, who is buried in the graveyard, and had fields that surrounded the cemetery, according to Jones.

The cemetery fell into neglect, and in 1992, was cleaned up by a local Boy Scout effort, but afterwards was not maintained.

In 2009, Steve Bentley, a retired counselor who worked with Vietnam veterans, went to the cemetery for the first time and discovered waist-high brush and fallen tree branches.

“It just seems so wrong that this would relapse,” said Bentley, a former Saco resident who now lives in Scarborough.

Bentley, with the blessing of the parks and recreation department, which provided him with mulch and other supplies, spearheaded a volunteer effort to clean up the cemetery, which he said is about half an acre. After extensive clearing and some digging, he discovered a number of grave markers that were not previously known. Now, with regular mowing, the cemetery has well-kept, green grass and the tombstones are clearly visible.

“It wouldn’t look like that without Steve. He’s very dedicated,” said John Sherman, deputy director of the city’s parks and recreation department.

Bentley was introduced to the cemetery by his golf buddy, Tom Donovan, who lives near the cemetery and said he knew Bentley was “a history buff.” He brought Bentley over to show him the cemetery, not knowing he would take “a big-time interest” and make a project out of it.

“I think he’s done a marvelous job, and he should be commended for his efforts,” said Donovan.

“He’s been an inspiration to a bunch of us,” said Paul Schlaver, who lives near Rendezvous Point Cemetery.

“He’s really cleaned it up. It’s like a different world.”

Schlaver said he believes maintaining the cemetery shows respect for the families of those buried there and it will be less prone to vandalism.

Schlaver said that every once in a while, someone knocks on his door saying that they have a relative buried at the Rendezvous Point Cemetery, and they want to know where the graveyard is.

Bentley said neighbors have been supportive of his efforts and are glad to see the cemetery spruced up.

“It’s been very rewarding,” said Bentley. He said Coffin donated the graveyard to the city to ensure perpetual care, and he doesn’t want to see the cemetery relapse into neglect in the future.

Sherman said when he began working for city in 2005, the cemetery had not been well maintained, though he’s not sure why. He said since he came on, once a year, staff has come into the cemetery at the end of the summer “to hack everything down.” He said he’s had concerns about seasonal staff, who sometimes aren’t as careful as year-round staff when doing work in the cemetery. He said a few years ago, he had a few seasonal workers come down to the cemetery and one hit a headstone with a mower.

Sherman said now that Bentley has gotten the cemetery to the point it is, he wants to keep it that way and have city staff come in for more regular maintenance.

Rendezvous Point Cemetery is a quiet spot surrounded by private land. A city easement has become overgrown, and those who go there do so by driving through a neighboring property.

Bentley has also done hours of research about the cemetery and who is buried there. Bentley said his 12th great-grandfather was Bonython, and believes there are “virtually thousands of people” who have ancestors buried at the graveyard.

Walking through the cemetery, one can see the evolution of headstones over time, from crude rocks, to stones with inscriptions that look like handwriting to more elaborately decorated headstones such as one inscribed with pictures of demons to ward off evil spirits.

In 1992, a surveyor working with the Boy Scouts found about 135 graves. Bentley has found more stones, and, as some of the stones are foot stones, guesses that there are about 260 bodies. He said he believes, as well, there are likely “dozens of stones that lurk just beneath the surface of the ground that are yet to be rediscovered.”

Local historian and former mayor Fred Clark said Laurel Hill Cemetery was built in 1844, and with its park-like setting and closer proximity to downtown, it was likely more desirable to people having their loved ones buried than Rendezvous Point.

Clark said he believes the city did what it could with what money and manpower it had to maintain Rendezvous Point Cemetery in the past, but he hopes it will be better maintained from now on.

“Cemeteries are one of those physical things that are reminders of the past,” he said.

Mayor Mark Johnston said it’s been the idea of some city staff over the years that since the cemetery is in an out-of-the-way location, fixing it up might make it more prone to vandalism. He said, however, the city needs to maintain the cemetery.

“We should not hide our history,” said Johnston. “We should brag about it.”

Anyone who is interested in volunteering at the cemetery may call Bentley at 286-5292.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or [email protected].