Historical Markers
Since its beginnings, the Reprisal Chapter, NSDAR, has marked several local historical spots for posterity. The chapter has carefully researched significant locations and placed plaques or markers for future generations.
Revolutionary War Soldiers Graves
Under the regency of Lucy N. Bradley (1896-1900), the chapter located all American Revolutionary War soldiers buried in the town cemeteries. A complete list was compiled, and the graves were marked. Many of these soldiers are resting in the Pine Street Cemetery and the Maple Street Cemetery, both in Newport.
Under the regency of Ethel P. Wyman (1926-1928), the chapter appointed a committee to locate the graves of soldiers buried in neighboring towns, as several had been reported unmarked. The chapter marked 12 more graves, and donated funds toward a landscape garden around the World War Soldiers’ Memorial.
Maple Street Cemetery Gates
Under the regency of Anne Parmelee Cushman (1907-1909), the chapter worked in conjunction with the Town of Newport to construct handsome gates and a stone wall at the Maple Street Cemetery. Construction of the wall and gates was completed by 1917.
Under the regency of Carrie M. Buswell (1930-1932), the chapter marked the location with plaques.
Belknap Cannonball
In 1912, Chapter Regent Maude I. Lewis received a gift of a cannonball, which was later mounted on a boulder and placed at the head of Belknap Avenue. While the chapter organized the installation of the cannonball and the plaque, Mrs. Bradley bore the greater part of the expense.
The plaque reads, “THIS CANNON BALL WAS FIRED FROM FORT FISHER, DURING THE CIVIL WAR, OF 1861-1865, AND STRUCK THE DECK OF THE U.S. GUNBOAT CANONICUS, COMMANDED BY GEORGE EUGENE BELKNAP, AFTERWARDS REAR ADMIRAL, U.S.N. THIS BOULDER WAS PLACED HERE JUNE 1912 BY REPRISAL CHAPTER, DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, TO PRESERVE A RELIC OF THE CIVIL WAR AND AS A MEMORIAL TO REAR ADMIRAL BELKNAP, AN HONORED SON OF NEWPORT, BORN JAN. 22, 1832, DIED AT KEY WEST, FLORIDA, APRIL 7, 1903.”