DearColleague,

Soonaftertheirmarriage,PeirceandJuliettemovedtoMilford,Pennsylvania,wheretheyresideduntilCharles’sdeathin1914.Fortheremainderofherimpoverishedlife,JuliettekepttheurnwithPeirce’sashesonamantelattheirhome,Arisbe.WhenJuliettediedin1934,PennsylvaniaGovernorGiffordPinchot,afriendofthePeirceswithagrandhomeinMilford,arrangedforJuliette’sburialinthelocalcemeterynearthePinchotfamilyplots.TheurnwithPeirce’sasheswasplacedinthecasketwithJulietteandwasinterredwithher.Asmallinconspicuoustombstonewaserectedtomarkthegrave.

InAugust2014,afterthecloseoftheInternationalPeirceCongressinLowell,Massachusetts,agroupofPeircescholarstravelledtoMilfordtoinstallanddedicateacommemorativeplaqueinPeirce’sstudyatArisbe.ThisexcursiontoMilford,arrangedforbyRosaMayorga,includedavisittotheMilfordCemeterytovisitPeirce’sgrave.EventhefewwhohadvisitedPeirce’sgravebeforeandwhoknewapproximatelywhereitwaslocatedhaddifficultyfindingit.WeweretoldstoriesofvisitorsfromaroundtheworldwhohadtriedinvaintofindPeirce’sburialplace.Oncelocated,itwaseasytoseewhythegraveishardtofind.Thetombstoneissmallandslightlyaskewandtheurnbesideitwasbrokenintwo.ItisaveryunimpressivemarkerindexingthefinalrestingplaceofthemanwhomanybelievetobeAmerica’sgreatestphilosopher.

TheLowellgroupwhomadethetrektothegravesite,followingsosoonaftertheLowellCongresswherePeirce’sintellectualachievementswerecelebratedbyover250scholarsfromatleast25countries,wereunanimousinfeelingtroubledbythedisregard,andevenseemingdisrespect,signifiedbythepaltryanddecrepitmonumenttotheman.AdecisionwasmadetorectifythisneglectandtoarrangeforamonumentmoresuitableasamanifestationofPeirce’sintellectualweight.

FollowingthisgroupvisittoMilford,DemetraSfendoni-Mentzou,thenPresidentofthePeirceSociety,appointedaspecialcommittee,composedofmembersofthePeirceSocietyandthePeirceFoundationandchairedbyRosaMayorga,todevelopplansforamoresatisfactorymemorial.ThiscommitteesecuredthenecessarypermissionstoerectanewmonumentonthegravesiteandadoptedamonumentplandesignedbyCélinePoisson,ProfessorattheSchoolofDesignattheUniversityofQuebecatMontreal.

Thisplanhasnowmovedtothefundingandimplementationstage.Theestimatedcostforconstructionofthismonumentis$16,250.00inadditiontocostsrelatedtotheplanninganddesignphases.Tocoverthesecostsweseektoraise$20,000.00andhopethatyouwillhelpusachievethisgoal.Weaskyoutomakeagenerousdonation.Tomakesurethisprojectsucceeds,wewouldliketobeabletomakedefinitearrangementsfortheconstructionofthemonumentassoonaspossible.Therefore,weurgeyoutomakeyourcontributionrightawayifyoucan.Tolearnmoreabouttheprojectandtodonate,pleasevisit:monument.peirce-foundation.org.

PleasesendyourcontributionstothePeirceFoundation.TheFoundation,whichisa501(c)3corporation,willprovideyouwithareceiptfortaxpurposes.TheMonumentProjectpagewillprovideregularupdatesonprogresstowardourgoal.Anyfundsreceivedinexcessofthefinalprojectcostwillbeusedforannualupkeep.

Thankyouforhelpingmakethishappen!

Sincerely,

NathanHouserPresident,CharlesS.PeirceFoundationProfessorEmeritusofPhilosophyIndianaUniversityatIndianapolisRossellaFabbrichesiPresident,CharlesS.PeirceSocietyProfessoreAssociatodiErmeneuticaFilosoficaUniversitàdegliStudidellaMilanoRobertCummingsNevillePastPresident,CharlesS.PeirceSocietyProfessorofPhilosophy,Religion,andTheologyBostonUniversity