Dear Ms. Battle,
A colleague forwarded your request for information on gravestones to me.
Each stone will be treated differently based on its degree of deterioration
and the material of which it is made (polished granite, unpolished marble,
limestone, etc.) Removing a gravestone from its connected burial site is
usually seen as a last resort where there are no other options, and then a
replica of the stone is recommended to hold the original stone's place in
the cemetery. Without the grave, the stone loses its context and no longer
fulfills its purpose. Also, despite the best of intentions, once removed
from the cemetery, people forget where the stone was or it gets misplaced.
Building a structure may offer some protection from acid rain, but lichens,
bacteria and mosses will continue to breakdown the stone. I have seen glass
enclosures used to protect highly artistic grave markers, but it is
difficult to make an enclosure that both protects and is not intrusive to
the cemetery environment.
Probably the best treatment for the stone would be a gentle biowash that
cleans the stone of biological deposits and inhibits further growth. If the
stone is sugary (I'm assuming it is marble) a consolidation treatment may
be needed. The consolidation is a brush on liquid that will rebind the
stone's molecules without creating an impenetrable coating. The stone has
to breath or else deposits from moisture can be trapped inside the stone
and cause spalling.
There are a lot of companies that offer cleaning products, and some even
market them as "restoration" treatments or suitable for historic stones.
Sometimes their formulas cause far more damage than if the stone were left
to fend for itself. So use caution! Cleaners with bleach or acid are never
recommended, nor is using a high powered pressure washer, even if you are
just using water.
A reputable company that has had experience with historic grave markers is
Prosoco (prosoco.com). A representative can help you chose the best product
given your type of stone and condition. You might contact Fran Gale from
Prosoco, she is an expert with in gravestone conservation and could
probably answer any question you had:
Fran Gale, Prosoco
3741 Greenway Circle
Lawrence, KS 66046
[log in to unmask]
Work: (785) 830-7353
Something else you might consider is having someone attend the upcoming
Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop happening in Omaha on May 25th
through 26th. Two of the days will be spent in Prospect Hill Cemetery
learning conservation techniques such as cleaning, consolidation, resetting
and conditions assessment. The conference is put on by the National Center
for Preservation Technology and Training and they have some excellent
instructors coming from all over the country. The price is steep, $695, but
would be well worth it for someone like you with a cemetery to look after.
Their web site to check it out is:
www.ncptt.nps.gov/cem
The workshop is filling up fast so if you are interested, don't hesitate to
send in your application.
Best of luck! -Liz
_____________________
Elizabeth Dickey, Architectural Historian
National Park Service
Cultural Resources
601 Riverfront Drive
Omaha, NE 68102
phone: (402) 661-1926
fax: (402) 661-1982
Denise Klein
To: Brian McCutchen/Omaha/NPS@NPS, Elizabeth Dickey/Omaha/NPS@NPS
04/21/2005 02:38 cc:
PM CDT Subject: Gravestone info needed
Do you know?
----- Forwarded by Denise Klein/Omaha/NPS on 04/21/2005 02:37 PM -----
Martha Battle
Jackson To: [log in to unmask]
<martha.jackson@NCM cc: (bcc: Denise Klein/Omaha/NPS)
AIL.NET> Subject: Gravestone info needed
Sent by: Museum
discussion list
<[log in to unmask]
.LSOFT.COM>
04/21/2005 03:33 PM
AST
Please respond to
Museum discussion
list
Excuse any cross-postings, please!
One of our sites has a relocated graveyard on the property (relocated for a
new highway 20 years ago). We have noticed that some of the gravestones
and headstones are beginning to deteriorate, and two were carved by noted
artisans. We are trying to figure out how best to protect them (build a
protective structure? move them inside?), so I'd like to know if anyone has
faced a similar problem or knows of anyone who has. Thank you for any
light you can shed on this subject.
Martha Battle Jackson, Curator of Technology
North Carolina State Historic Sites
Mailing Address: 4621 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-4621
Street Address: 532 North Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27604
919/733-3877; ext. 236; FAX: 919/733-9515
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E-mail correspondence to and from this sender may be subject to the
North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
The views expressed by the sender may not reflect those of my agency.
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