Wayne's Circular Cemetery

Wing Cemetery near Pocasset Lake in Wayne is laid out in concentric circles, with an obelisk at the center.

The concentric circle design of the cemetery was an engineering feat, Ault said. Those working on the cemetery, for example, had to temporarily move at least 39 graves while the redesign took place. Then they had to carry out a sophisticated plan for the property, cutting arcs from granite and shaping grave plots around them.

The concentric circles turned out to be a carefully conceived plan to reflect Wing family genealogy. The eight-sided obelisk at the center carries the names of all seven original Wing brothers. Descendants are buried in rows emanating out from the inscribed name of their Wing brother ancestor. [Link]

The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is counted as one of the Seven Wonders of Wayne, Maine. See also "Search for the Origins of the Wing Family Cemetery" (and its background image).