Charter Oak Park

Painesville
(inactive)

Charter Oak Park, located at the intersection of Mentor Avenue and West Washington Street is the grave site of General Edward Paine. Born at Ellington, Connecticut, January 17th, 1746, Paine was the pioneer resident of Painesville, settling here in 1800. He died on August 28, 1841, at the age of 95 years. His funeral “was attended by a very large and respectable concourse of citizens from this and the adjacent counties” and he was buried in the Washington Street Cemetery. Over the years the location of his grave was forgotten.

In 1900, as part of the commemoration of the centennial of the settlement of Painesville, a movement began to erect a monument in honor of General Paine. Through the efforts of descendants of the Paine family, the New Connecticut Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and other interested members of the community, the site was secured and a statue sculpted in Barre, Vermont.

An old map of the Washington Street Cemetery, in 1900 the site of the Painesville High School, was used to locate the grave. The remains of General Paine were placed in the base of the monument. Dedication services of the monument were held on July 21st, 1900.

At the west point of the triangularly shaped park is a flush brass or bronze plaque with the following raised text superimposed on an embossed oak tree shape:

Charter Oak/ Triangle
The oak tree on this point
is a direct descendent of
the famous Connecticut
charter oak.
The oak was planted,
Gen. Paines remains moved
to this site and his statue
erected in 1900 by the D.A.R.
This marker placed by the
City Beautiful Commission to
commemorate the 150th anni-
versary of the naming of the
town and the beautification
of this triangle.
1966

NameSecRowStoneInscriptionSymbolsComments
Paine, Edward111[W face] Edward Paine/ 1746-1841/ Captain in the/ War of the Revolution/ Founder of Painesville/ A.D. 1800/ [Bronze plaque on pedestal] Edward Paine/ Soldier of the American Revolution/ Born January 27, 1746, in Bolton, Connecticut,/ entered service as ensign in the Connecticut Militia,/ Commissioned first Lieutenant in Captain Jonathan/ Birge's company, 1776, and captain of the 5th. company/ Alarm list, 19th. Regiment, 1777. Later made brig-/ adier General of New York State Militia./ In 1800 General Paine and family moved to Ohio./ He promoted the development of the Grand River/ area. The county seat of Lake County bears his/ name. He died at Painesville, August 28, 1841./ Inscribed by New Connecticut Chapter, National/ Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, July 21, 1966.Vet. star flagholderLife-size granite statue of a standing Revolutionary War officer mounted on a 10 foot high light grey granite pedestal. brass plaque is mounted on the west side of the pedestal under inscription.