08/05/2026
"At the rear of the property occupied by the former Bast Furniture Store a single, marble headstone protrudes from the grassy lawn, as it has for more than 200 years. Its weathered surface bears the name Abraham Lemaster, who died in 1820 at age 78. Who was Abraham Lemaster, and how did his lone grave end up here?
Census records show that Lemaster was born in Charles County, Maryland in 1742. He was married twice, and fathered at least seven children. There are suggestions that he may have been a Revolutionary War Captain, as reference is made to one Abraham Lemaster in a 1779 Council of Maryland journal entry, noting that he and his Company were in receipt of 42 pounds for provisions.
Land records indicate that Lemaster purchased the lot upon which he’s buried in “Boonsberry Town” in 1815 for $1,200. When he passed five years later, he was buried on the land. His descendants maintained ownership of the property through 1863, at which point a portion of the lot surrounding the gravesite was parceled off and conveyed to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. According to oral tradition, there were hopes of establishing a church and graveyard there. Despite this, St. Mark’s never developed the site.
In 1920 the property was conveyed to William Bast, who owned and operated a cabinet-making business on the adjoining lot. Though having no blood relation, the Bast family voluntarily maintained Lemaster’s gravesite for the next three generations, ending with Douglas “Doug” Bast, who passed away in 2021.
The Boonsborough Museum of History, which Doug founded, lived, and breathed, now assumes responsibility for maintaining the Lemaster gravesite. The headstone recently received a gentle cleaning using a plastic scraper, soft bristled brush, and hand-pumped fresh water. Time and commitment were the final ingredients in making the sullied stone sparkle again. The improvement is remarkable!"
We would like to thank Claire Connor for all her diligent research and volunteering to clean Mr. Lemaster's grave. The before and after are amazing.
Please see the comments for the deed that Claire also located.
