The Mass Murder Mystery of Augusta

The Purrington Family

Augusta, Maine

 

Augusta is the capital city of the state of Maine. Even today it is far from being a bustling metropolis and is smaller than Portland, which is Maine's largest city. Travelers to Augusta will find it to be a quaint historic town, whose skyline is dominated by the Maine State house, but Augusta wasn't always like this. During the late 1700's and early 1800's Augusta was little more than an up and coming community. It would likely have been overlooked by many if it was not for the presence of Fort Western, a small military outpost along the Kennebec River. Despite all this in 1809, Augusta found itself the site of what is probably the most gruesome murder in the city's entire history. The murders centered around the Purrington family who lived out on the Old Belgrade Road.

 

 

On the night of July 9, 1809, Capt James Purrington killed most of his family to include his wife and seven of his eight children. He is said to have entered his house on that night and using a combination of an axe and a razor committed the murders. His eldest son James was the only one to escape, but not without receiving a blow to the back from his axe wielding father. One of the daughters who sustained significant injuries managed to survive for about three weeks before she also perished. Upon completion of the deed, Capt Purrington took the razor and slit his own throat. The eldest son after escaping ran to a nearby neighbors house and informed them of the mayhem which had just recently occurred. The neighbor accompanied by a few other men arrived to find the gruesome scene. I will spare you the specific details of what they found, except to say that the razor was used to kill many of the younger children and the axe the rest of the family. If you should be the type of person curious as to the specific gruesome details (as I was), if you do your research a newspaper of the time recorded the first hand account of the scene which greeted those who ran to investigate.

 

 

So what does this have to do with cemeteries, stones, and burials?  Some interesting things surround the burial of both the victims and the perpetrator. Due to some beliefs about suicide, the funeral and burial were done differently. Mrs. Purrington and the seven children were buried in a mass grave at the corner of what was to become the Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Augusta. In more recent years the grave which was before rumor and conjecture has been discovered and a stone marker with a brass plate telling the story now marks its location. I had the interesting fortune to see it for myself and comprehend that below my feet were the remains of eight persons who had been brutally murdered.

You will note that the Capt Purrington was not interred in the mass grave. The story of his burial is much more mysterious and intriguing. It is said that during the funeral his coffin was forced to stay on the porch due to his death being a suicide and was displayed with the axe and razor which he had used to commit the murders. Later it is reported that Capt Purrington was buried outside the cemetery grounds. The most detailed reports say his remains were placed at the corner of Winthrop and High Streets. I was able to find this intersection just down the street from the cemetery. Today it is a regular urban housing area. Several rumors abound about Capt Purrington's body. One conspiracy says that persons associated with Bowdoin College secretly exhumed the body for research. Another story I read says that at one point an owner of the property using a metal detector found an axe head which dates to the period of the murders. This however, has not been substantiated.

This was my first visit to Mt. Vernon Cemetery, but I am already intrigued by it. I am sure that the Purrington grave is only the beginning of interesting discoveries to be made here. If you should desire to have a look for yourself, you will find the cemetery located on the corner of Winthrop and Granite Street. The entrance is just up past this intersection. There are several cemeteries that make up this area collectively known as Mt. Hope Cemetery, but Mt. Vernon is the oldest. If you desire to see the Purrington grave simply travel a short distance down Granite Street and you will see the monument clearly in the bottom corner of the cemetery. You also may be interested in the location of the Purrington farm where the murders occurred. Although the house no longer exists, it is believed to be the location of the Greyhound Clinic on Old Belgrade Road just across from the Veteran's Cemetery.