Preserving Cemeteries

Researched by: Ashlee Crane and Chelsea Richards © 2007

The difference between preservation and restoration is that restoration of a gravestone is recreating the stone to make it look like the day it was entered into the ground, while preservation means strengthening a stone or fixing a crack in it so it won’t decay in the future. Cemetery restoration may sometimes require inappropriate or damaging means to recreate the stone, such as maybe even creating a whole new stone.

Conservators may tell someone who is wanting to preserve a stone that they cannot work on that certain stone, maybe because it is unstable or so cracked there is no way to preserve it without getting a new stone. Cemetery restoration companies will work on almost any kind of stone, though. While this is helpful, some restorations are quite costly.

When considering preservation some things you should look over are: 1) an easy solution for a compound problem, 2) the actions should be non-intrusive on the stone, 3) actions should not require changing the original stone type, 4) treatments should be reversible, 5) all changes should be carefully recorded in case of future work on the same stone. You should receive an explanation of what will be done on the stone before the preservation company begins work, and then another, more detailed explanation of what was done to the stone after the work is done.

Inappropriate adhesives should not be used. Some people who are real “do-it-yourselfers” may use simple adhesives that cause the stone to become more damaged than before the “do-it-yourselfer” added the adhesives.

 Tombstones can be damaged in many different ways some of which are abandonment, decay, plants growing over the tombstone, and from vandals. An easy way to clean and preserve tombstones is by first removing any plants that might have grown over the stones, then wetting the stone with running water, next you clean the stone with a cloth in a light circular motion being careful not to rub too hard, last you rinse off the stone with a hose.

Rubbing of tombstones is usually done either so you can have your own copy of the tombstone to take home or so you can read the tombstone easier. Rubbing is not to be done directly on the tombstone its self but either on a separate sheet of wax paper or on a piece of fabric called interfacing. It is also not to be done with side walk chalk because it is known to leave marks on the tombstones. Also, make sure you check with your local preservation office to check the laws on rubbing, since it is illegal in some states.

Some people believe that it is not good to clean off the tombstones because they think that it takes away the history of the tombstone. Others believe that all tombstones should look just like they did when they first were placed there. Which ever you believe the directions above will help preserve and clean your tombstone.

Here are some ways that you can preserve a cemetery, maybe with one of your relatives: 1) Make sure the lawn is properly mowed and there are no unwanted plants (such as ivy) wrapped around the grave, 2) are the trees around the grave trimmed enough to prevent damage to the stone? 3) protection from vandals? 4) visit the cemetery owner and discuss times for you to visit graves of your ancestors, 5) is the cemetery fenced or clearly marked? 6) is the cemetery or grave recorded at the county office?, 7) record and photograph each grave marker in the cemetery.

Endangered Cemetery Relocation

Here is a list of things that can help start saving an endangered cemetery from being relocated.

• Make your cause known to the local community. Give some reasons you believe the site should be saved, such as they are homes to wildlife, the cemetery is a place where people can walk in the footsteps of their ancestors, and some information about a buried person may only be known from their gravestone.

• Make sure you know what you are and are not going to tell the locals about the cemetery.

• Be able to answer all of their questions if they chose to visit the cemetery.

• Make sure you know and understand the main obstacles in your way, like cost, location, neighbors, etc.

• Don’t do this alone! Find people that feel the same way about it as you do

• Find records of everyone who is buried at the site and search the deeds, past and present, and wills of the people buried there.

• Take a look at the State laws on burial site relocation. Make sure the laws don’t state that burial sites may be relocated on account of using the spot for a hospital or institution.

• Find maps and photographs of the site.

• Contact your local archaeological office. They will give you a full description of who is buried there. They may also consider taking this project as one of their developmental projects. The local archaeological office may send a professional dig team to a certain site if you claim that a site looks like a possible gravesite.

 If you have ever been to an old cemetery you might have noticed that some tombstones have fallen over and broken into pieces. To fix this many cemeteries try to infill the tombstone or use special materials to glue the pieces together. Some also make a kind of stand to try and help hold up the sign.

Some cemeteries have trouble locating where graves without tombstones are. However some cemeteries’ records are so good that they can easily locate where every grave in the whole cemetery is. However some cemeteries have poor records and need to use a machine called a penetrometer to measure the ground impact and locate tombstones without markers.

All in all, it is important to protect and preserve our country’s cemeteries.  They give us good information about the past.

Citations:

Foundation, Chicora. "What's the Difference Between "restoration" and "preservation"?." Preservation or Restoration?. June 29, 2006. Chicora Foundation, Inc.. 16 Jan 2007 http://www.chicora.org/conservation.htm.

"Saving A Cemetery: Getting Started." Saving Graves. 2005. Saving Graves. 23 Jan 2007 http://www.savinggraves.org/education/bookshelf/steps.html.

"The Use of Chalk." Saving Graves. 2005. Saving Graves. 23 Jan 2007 <http://www.savinggraves.org/education/bookshelf/chalk.html>.

Foundation, Chicora. "Cemetery Preservation." Chicora Home. June 29, 2006. Chicora Foundation, Inc. 23 Jan 2007 <http://chicora.org/cemetery_preservation.htm>.

Robinson, Jeanne. "Cemetery Signs: An Important Step in Cemetery Preservation." Oregon Historic Cemeteries Association. May 15, 2005. Oregon Historic Cemeteries Association. 23 Jan 2007 <http://www.oregoncemeteries.org/CemeterySigns.htm>.

Foundation, Chicora. "Cleaning." Cemetery Preservation. June 29, 2006. Chicora Foundation Inc.. 23 Jan 2007 <http://chicora.org/cleaning.htm>.

“…tombstones in our cemetery?” Online Image.  Suvcwks.org. 30 January 2007. http://suvcwks.org

“Cleaning Lichen from Stone”. Online Image. Churcharmenia.com. 30 January 2007. www.churcharmenia.com/stone_expedition2.html

“…pulled weeds, washed tombstones…” Online Image. Youngevity.com. 30 January 2007. http://www.youngevity.com/members/story_bell.php

“…day of cleaning up Blackstock!” Online Image. Cemeterypreservation.8k.com.  30 January 2007. http://www.cemeterypreservation.8k.com/photo2.html

“Armenia2.jpg Online Image. Tbfa.com. 30 January 2007. http://www.cemeterypreservation.8k.com/photo2.html

“Simha Son of Yakov”. Online Image. Jewishgen.org 30 January 2007. http://www.jewishgen.org/Belarus/newsletter/IvenetsGraves.htm

 “0921.h14.jpg”. Online Image. Dearmyrtle.com. 30 January 2007. http://www.dearmyrtle.com/05/0921.htm

Related Links:

What's the Difference Between Preservation and Restoration?
Saving Graves: Cemetery Preservation
Cemetery Preservation
Cemetery Preservation in South Carolina
Cleaning Headstones
Use Of Chalk
Cemetery Signs
Cemetery Ironwork
How To Do Tombstone Rubbings
Tombstone Rubbings Step by Step
Headstone Rubbing Techniques That Get Results!
Gravestone Rubbings
Cemetery Studies