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 [log in to unmask] 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. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).