We take a look this week at one of the oldest continuously-running companies in the state – Maine Memorial Company at 220 Main St. in South Portland. After over 100 years of operation, the monument company is still going strong, now under the ownership and management of Paul DiMatteo, grandson of founder Michael DiMatteo.

While there have been several members of the DiMatteo family who have held ownership in the company over the years, the three longest-running owners would be Michael (1919-1970), his son, Joseph (1970-1988), and Joseph’s son, Paul (1988-present).

Born in 1891 in Lettomanoppello, a small town in central Italy, Michele “Michael” DiMatteo was the son of Alessandro “Alexander” and Serafina “Sarah” DiMatteo. Michael made the passage to America in 1907 with his father aboard the SS Romanic, landing in Boston. Around 1910, they were living and working in Portland, and had successfully brought over the rest of the family – Sarah, and Michael’s other siblings: Camilla, Annie, Daniel, and John.

Michael married Antoinetta “Annie” Colucci in Portland in 1911. Annie had also immigrated with her family from Italy and had settled in Portland. Michael and Annie had a son, Alexander, in 1913, but then moved to Vermont where they lived in Northfield for a few years. Daughter Eva was born in Vermont in 1914. By 1917, they were back living in Portland and Michael had found a job working as a stone cutter at Union Granite Company. Once back in Portland, they had five more children: John, Dominic, Joseph, Olga, and Theresa.

Michael went into business for himself in 1919. According to family history, he moved a building from Meeting House Hill down to Main Street, setting up his stone cutting and monument business at 220 Main St., directly across from Calvary Cemetery. While the front of the building has changed somewhat, the original building still stands today.

In the early years of the business, Michael would hand cut the stones and move them by horse and wagon across the street into the cemetery. Sometime in the 1920s, he bought a truck to move the stones.

While Michael DiMatteo operated the business under his own name for many years, he incorporated the business in 1935 under the name Maine Memorial Company, Inc.

Michael’s four sons all grew up working in the business. During World War II, Joseph and Johnny both served overseas in the Army. Alexander stayed working in the business, but also worked at the New England Shipbuilding yard in South Portland. After the war ended, Alexander left the business to pursue his own interests, while his three brothers – Joseph, Johnny and Dominic – all remained working with their dad.

Time marched on and the family remained working together. They made life easier on themselves when, in 1947, they replaced their earlier truck with a Ford that had a crane in the middle of the back that was operated with a hand crank – the crane was used to move the heavy stones. They cared for their vehicles well, as the DiMatteos used that 1947 Ford until 1972 when they replaced it with a new truck, and they kept the 1972 truck in use through 1992.

The first change in ownership of the business occurred in 1970 when Michael died and son Dominic retired. Joseph and Johnny became the co-owners of the business.

Joseph DiMatteo was born in Portland in 1921 and graduated from Deering High School. He started working at Maine Memorial in 1938. During World War II, he served in Europe with the Army and received the Purple Heart after being wounded in Belgium. After returning from the war, he continued in the business and married Mary Nolfo in 1951; together they had two sons, Joseph, Jr., and Paul.

Joseph operated the business with his brother Johnny for many years, but after Johnny’s death in 1988, his widow Evelyn then owned half of the business. In December, 1988, Joseph’s sons – Paul and Joe, Jr. – decided that they wanted to run the company. Joseph gave his half ownership to his sons, divided equally, and they bought out Evelyn’s half ownership, as well.

Paul and Joe, Jr., ran the business together for several years, with their dad still helping out, until 1994 when Paul bought his brother out.

Joseph DiMatteo, Sr., continued working for the company until his death in 2000. Over the course of his lifetime, he designed and created over 12,000 cemetery memorials in Maine. He was described by Paul as “… an artist and he really took a lot of pride in what he did.”

Paul DiMatteo, like his brother, father and uncles, grew up in the business and learned the trade from a young age. The work has changed over the 105 years that the company has been around – starting with engraving by hand with hammers, mallets and chisels, then moving on to the use of hand-cut templates that were used with sandblasters.

In today’s digital age, designs are now created on the computer with a CAD system, which allows for limitless possibilities in designs. What keeps the business thriving after 105 years? If you ask them, it comes from offering fair pricing, while not sacrificing quality on stones that are designed as memorials for loved ones.

There’s no doubt that Michael DiMatteo set the stage and instilled pride in his family members in the stone-cutting trade.

South Portland Historical Society offers a free Online Museum with nearly 17,000 images available for viewing with a keyword search. You can find it at https://sphistory.pastperfectonline.com and, if you appreciate what we do, feel free to make a donation by using the donation button on the home page. If you have photographs or other information to share about South Portland’s past, we hope you will reach out to us. South Portland Historical Society can be reached at 207-767-7299, by email at sphistory04106@gmail.com, or by mail at 55 Bug Light Park, South Portland, ME 04106.

Kathryn Onos DiPhilippo is executive director of the South Portland Historical Society. She can be reached at sphistory04106@gmail.com.

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