Standards & Guidelines

The following standards and guidelines are intended to ensure the accuracy and uniformity of the text placed on Patriot Burials historical markers. The Pomeroy Foundation will have the final decision on the appropriateness of any text placed on a marker.

• The name of the cemetery or burial site must be determined and appear on the marker.
• The applicant must obtain necessary written permission from the property owner where the marker is to be installed.
• The applicant must provide primary sources to document both the Patriot’s Revolutionary War service and burial. SAR and DAR application forms are not acceptable proof of service. Acceptable proof of service includes, but is not limited to pension records, muster rosters, military bound land records, official state government-compiled records (i.e. Massachusetts Soldiers; Sailors in the War of the Revolution). Acceptable proof of burial includes, but is not limited to records of the entity that owns the cemetery and photos of original headstones placed at the time of burial. Replacement headstones and memorial plaques are not proof of burial.
• All known Patriots in the cemetery or burial site must be recognized. A single Patriot must not be identified for commemoration while ignoring additional Patriots buried at the same grounds. The applicant must conduct a good faith effort to identify any and all Patriots. Proof of this good faith effort will be required.
• If the number of Patriots is minimal, an effort will be made to include their name(s) on the marker. If there is sufficient room, the rank of the Patriot(s) will be included. Otherwise, only the number of Patriots will be indicated.
• Additional text describing the Patriot’s post-war activities will only be included if room is available after the above guidelines are met.
• Markers will only be placed in cemeteries or sites where similar signage indicating Patriot burials does not already exist.

Applications will only be accepted for markers commemorating a cemetery or burial site that is either publicly accessible without having to cross private property or is visible from the site where the marker is installed.

Marker Design and Text Guidelines

Patriot Burial markers are blue with yellow raised lettering and border. The circle atop of each marker depicts a Patriot standing in front of the outline of the state where the marker is installed along with the name of the SAR state society. Markers are 32” x 18” cast aluminum with a 7’ aluminum pole. Each marker weighs approximately 30 pounds.

The title of the marker must state “Patriot Burials”. The five body lines can each have up to 27 characters, must include the name of the cemetery and mention of the Revolutionary War. Please note spaces and punctuation count as characters. Key dates must be included for framing context. Examples include the exact year of the earliest burial, burials “as early as (the year)”, or dates of service.

There is a required credit line at the bottom of the marker which is always included.

Grant Application Deadline

2024 Important Dates

Round Two

• 9/23/24 – Application becomes available online
• 11/25/24 – Application deadline
• February 2025 – Grants awarded

2025 Important Dates

Round ONE

• 2/17/25 – Application becomes available online
• 4/21/25 – Application deadline
• June 2025 – Grants awarded

Round TWO

• 9/22/25 – Application becomes available online
• 11/24/25 – Application deadline
• February 2026 – Grants awarded

Applications must include the following:

• proposed installation location in specific detail (including GPS coordinates)
• a brief description and historical significance of what is being commemorated
• proposed inscription for marker
• a letter from the landowner granting permission for the marker to be installed
• primary source documents verifying proposed inscription

Marker Placement

Please carefully consider the location where the marker is to be installed.

• Markers should not be placed on high-traffic roadways or roadways where vehicles are traveling at a high rate of speed if there is no place for a vehicle to safely pull over out of traffic.
• Markers should not be placed where the visitor must intrude on private property to read it.

Before installing your marker, please be sure you are following all of your state’s guidelines around digging and excavation.