The gravesite of Major Amos Whittemore, one of Greenfield’s original settlers and who fought in the Revolutionary War, was recently spruced up.
Nathan Levesque, 18, cleared the site of overgrown vegetation, built a handrail on the hilly site, repainted a gate, and erected a sign to clearly identify the cemetery. The Boy Scout of Troop 271 in Greenfield undertook the project to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
Levesque said his two older brothers, who earned the Eagle Scout honor, both used the Whittemore grave site cleanup as a sample project, although they ended up choosing a different task in order to receive the highest achievement attainable in the Boy Scouts of America program.
“So I figured I’d come in after, what like, 20 years of people coming in and using it as a sample project and use it as my main project,” Levesque said standing at the entrance of the gravesite off of New Boston Road on a recent Saturday. “And that’s how I came about it.”
Levesque said the project took about two months to plan, which included ordering supplies, getting permission from the town, and obtaining building permits.
Gil Bliss, chair of the cemetery trustees in Greenfield, said the group approved the project and pledged about $350 to bring it to fruition.
Levesque said a handful of volunteers showed up at the site and put in about 9 hours of manual labor to actualize his concept at the graveyard.
He said didn’t undertake the project with any intention of more visitors coming to the site, instead to finish a project his two brothers thought about but never actualized. Plus, he said, “It’s good to honor veterans.”
Greenfield Historical Society President Lenny Cornwell said he helped research Whittemore for the gravesite project. The information was later engraved on a sign now posted at the entrance of the site.
Whittemore was born in 1746 and died in 1827, according to a document that Cornwell provided the Ledger-Transcript. Whittemore served in the Revolutionary War and was with George Washington at the Battle of White Plains in New York.
Whittemore was one of the original settlers and is credited with naming the town Greenfield. He served as a selectman and was in charge of the Greenfield militia, which was tasked with meeting a state quota of men, according to the document.
His first house was a log cabin, although he later built a house on the same plot of land using bricks that were made on the property.
He’s now buried in the Whittemore Cemetery alongside others with the same last name.
Adele Hale, who is a member of the Greenfield Historical Society, said every Memorial Day she goes to the Whittemore gravesite with her husband and says a brief prayer and a thank you. Some years, they lay a wreath on the grave. The Boy Scouts place a flag near the grave.
Levesque said he doesn’t have a “fancy” reason why he wanted to become an Eagle Scout.
“I’m the third one in line for my brothers,” Levesque said. “That’s basically it. They both went to the marines and I’m not planning on it so I got to get one of the two things.”
Levesque said his two older brothers got an additional rank when they went into the marines for holding the Eagle Scout honor. He said he knows a number of people from Troop 271 who have become Eagle Scouts, a title that has helped them land a job, or hold a higher rank in their position.
In a few weeks he plans to present his project to a board who will decide if he will join the small cohort of scouts who earn the honor.
“At this point not many people get to where I am and then don’t make it,” Levesque said.
He said even if he doesn’t become an Eagle Scout on the first try, he can have a second swing at it a month or two.
Levesque, who was homeschooled, said he is essentially done with his high school work. He said he plans to work at a local manufacturing plant. In the future, he hopes to go into the trades like his oldest brother.
Bliss said the trustees were pleased with the project Levesque decided to undertake.
He said many of the cemetery trustees are older and not able to take on large projects like the one Levesque completed.
“Any help we can get is much appreciated,” Bliss said. “Greenfield has a great history and any chance we have to highlight that is great.”
Abby Kessler can be reached at 924-7172, ext. 234 or akessler@ledgertranscript.com.