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Schedule
NCPTT’s Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit was a tremendous success, drawing more than 100 cemetery professionals from around the country. Available video from the conference is included here along with abstracts from the sessions.
The following schedule and abstracts are for the Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit from October 19-21, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Key sessions include Archeology, Mapping and Documentation, Landscapes, Engineering Challenges, Issues in National Cemeteries, and Materials Conservation.
Schedule
| Day Three Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Two Concurrent Sessions Will Take Place |
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Abstract – Anthony & Associates
Abstract: Preservation Issues of Wooden Grave Markers and Other Wooden Artifacts
Presenter: Kimberly D. Dugan
Title: Preservation Specialist
Organization: Anthony & Associates, Inc.
Presenter: Ronald W. Anthony
Title: Wood Scientist
Organization: Anthony & Associates, Inc.
Presenter Biographies:
Kim Dugan, Preservation Specialist, has a M.A. in Anthropology with an emphasis in Historic Archaeology from Colorado State University. She has also taken coursework in Construction Management and Architecture with an emphasis in Historic Preservation. Her experience in cultural resource management and historic preservation project management extends over a decade. She focuses on documentation and research needs as well as new products and technologies for wood preservation.
Ron Anthony, Wood Scientist for Anthony & Associates, Inc. received a Master of Science degree in Wood Science and a Bachelor of Science degree in Wood Science and Technology from Colorado State University. His research and consulting activities have focused on developing a better understanding of how wood interacts with other materials and performs over time. In 2002, he received the James Marston Fitch Foundation Grant for his approach to evaluating wood in historic buildings.
Abstract:
Wooden artifacts in cemeteries are often overlooked as significant pieces of our cultural heritage and are typically dismissed as impermanent, and unsalvageable, objects. These artifacts include head and foot markers, crosses, plaques, sculptures, grave curbs, grave fences, grave houses, and plot enclosures, as well as historic perimeter fences. Two primary factors have led to poor decisions regarding wooden artifacts:
- The general lack of readily accessible information on the conditions and conservation needs of wooden artifacts. Since wooden artifacts have characteristics and properties that differ from stone and metal monuments, it is important to have a basic understanding of wood as a material, wood deterioration, and available treatment options for artifact preservation. Additionally, unlike wood used in the construction of a house or building that is typically periodically maintained, wooden artifacts are continuously exposed to ultraviolet light, precipitation, freeze/thaw action, and exfoliation processes, all of which hasten the wood deterioration process.
- The expense of regular maintenance and/or treatment programs. Cemetery stewards must often act to preserve fragile wooden artifacts with limited financial resources, placing expensive or high-maintenance treatments outside the range of realistic preservation options. However, with some basic management practices, the service-life of many wooden artifacts can be extended with little financial cost.
This presentation, targeted towards lay and professional practitioners, provides a foundation for understanding wood and identifying the various mechanisms of deterioration for wooden artifacts. The presentation will include a discussion of:
- Some of the physical properties of wood and how wood behaves when exposed to exterior environmental conditions.
- Methods to identify and assess the various forms of wood deterioration such as weathering processes, moisture, wood decay fungi, moss and lichens, insect damage, and mechanical damage that can occur within wood exposed to the elements.
- Low-cost, low-maintenance options, such as water and vegetation management, for extending the life of wooden cemetery artifacts.
- Repair options: the challenges of replacing or repairing in-kind, methods that do not work, and possible alternative solutions.
Abstract – Anne Brockett
Montgomery County Cemetery Inventory Project
Abstract Submitted for Oral Presentation by Anne Brockett
Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit
October 19-21, 2009
The Montgomery County (Maryland) Cemetery Inventory Project is an ongoing project to document and protect the county’s many cemeteries. In 2003, members of the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites identified several goals towards preserving historic cemeteries in Montgomery County and formed an informal Montgomery County Coalition. The group’s initial objectives were divided into phases, with the most urgent being identification of all cemeteries in the County and compilation into one discreet inventory. A second phase would build on the data collected in Phase I for further planning towards cemetery preservation initiatives.
The project is now in Phase V with continuing support from the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission and additional sponsorship from the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites, Peerless Rockville, and Historic Takoma, Inc. The project has been coordinated by Anne Brockett, an architectural historian with specific interest in cemetery preservation.
The project’s purpose is not to identify each burial or to record specific gravestone information. Rather, it is to create a baseline of information on this resources type so that decision-making is informed, actions can be taken and policies developed – all with the goal of protecting the county’s historic cemeteries for future generations. The initial thrust was to compile a working list of cemeteries, locate them, photograph them, and complete a survey form for each one. To date, 260 cemeteries and burial locations have been identified and surveyed, including prehistoric sites, as identified by the County archaeologist.
Specifically, the projects phases were as follows:
Phase I (2004) goals included identifying the county’s numerous family, community, and religious cemeteries and creating a database to compile information about each one. Using existing published and unpublished lists of burial grounds, a Microsoft Access basic database was developed. Volunteer surveyors were trained and dispatched to each cemetery to collect locational information using handheld GPS units, photograph the site, and complete survey forms and log sheets.
Phase II (2005) saw the creation of a GIS map showing the locations of all cemeteries linked to the initial database. Work also continued to input field survey data into the database and to expand it with new research and additional cemeteries. A Cemetery Watchlist was developed to identify the county’s most threatened cemeteries.
During Phase III (2006) edits were finalized for the Access database and GIS map for delivery to the Montgomery County Planning Department to assist in locating cemeteries for owners, developers, and planners. All survey forms and the GIS-generated map were posted on the County’s Historic Preservation Office website. Each inventory form, search indexes, and a cemetery bibliography are now available at http://www.montgomeryplanning.org/historic/education/cemeteries.shtm. The paper copies of the files were delivered to the Montgomery County Historical Society where they are available for public research at the library. The project also developed strategies for preserving and promoting historic cemeteries, such as those identified on the Watchlist.
Phase IV (2008) built on the efforts of Phases I-III by identifying and reaching out to cemetery owners and the public regarding the cultural, artistic, educational, and historical importance of cemeteries. In order to determine what types of products, programs, or assistance would be welcomed by cemetery owners and caretakers, a questionnaire was developed in consultation with the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites to ascertain owners’ needs and interest levels. Each owner of record as well as known caretakers (e.g. adjacent neighbors) was mailed a copy of the questionnaire, which also included information about the Cemetery Inventory Project. The County’s GIS, which includes tax data, helped locate owner names and addresses.
Results of the questionnaire are still being returned with positive responses for information on cemetery history and care, both in print form and/or through training. The current Phase V (2009) will assess these needs to develop appropriate training, workshops, and publications that best address the most pressing interests of cemetery caretakers. The work continues….
Presenter Information:
Anne O. Brockett
Architectural Historian
Biography:
Anne Brockett is an architectural historian in the District of Columbia Historic Preservation Office. After receiving an M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Oregon, she worked as a cultural resources specialist with URS Corporation on preservation projects nationwide and as a preservation planner for the City of Rockville, MD. Her work with cemeteries includes managing the Montgomery County Cemetery Inventory Project, a largely volunteer effort that surveyed over 250 cemeteries in Maryland; preparing a cemetery restoration guide; and drafting cemetery design guidelines. She teaches an introductory course in Historic Preservation at Montgomery College and sits on the board of Montgomery Preservation, Inc.
Abstract – John Bry
Thinking Outside the Fence: A Comprehensive Model for Historic Cemetery Management
John Bry, CMSM
What Happened to the historic cemetery? Why are so many in a state of decline, disrepair, or abandonment? This presentation examines the root causes of historic cemetery’s struggles ranging from the lack of financial resources to land management issues. “Thinking Outside the Fence” will present the first known comprehensive model for historic cemetery management that not only includes conservation in its approach, but also addresses four other main categories such as Money, Management, Marketing, and Master Planning. Over the past four years, John Bry has visited countless cemeteries in the eastern U.S., spoken with their leadership, met with community leaders, and understands how the national death care industry operates. He began to see a pattern of need, issues, and approaches that could be applied to any cemetery of any size and any location. Using common sense approaches seen in the community revitalization world, and applying those standards to historic cemeteries, it is the hope a new national conversation on the place of these icons in the cultural landscape will emerge.
Presenter Information:
John Bry
Buffalo, New York
Abstract – Debi Hacker and Michael Trinkley
Maintenance: The Forgotten Variable
Debi Hacker and Michael Trinkley
Chicora Foundation, Inc.
In industry the concept of preventive or preventative maintenance is accepted, if not always acted on. The limiting factor is always funding and, over the past decade, as budgets shrank, so too did the attention directed to preventative maintenance.
In the cemetery profession, preventative maintenance was clearly recognized at the turn of the century. Perpetual care aside, cemetarians had a very clear understanding of what was needed to maintain a cemetery and there are many articles that outlined these concerns – and provided warnings of what will happen without appropriate care. A notable few cemeteries maintain that historic tie with past maintenance efforts. Others, however, are barely able to keep the weeds mowed and, if asked, would be hard pressed to describe any maintenance practices beyond mowing.
The economic downturn and decline in trust funds is certainly an issue, but the problem began long before the current recession. Contributing factors include increased competition, pricing too low to support appropriate maintenance, and an increase in cremations. In addition, landscape maintenance is undervalued by the public; often sextons or superintendents have little or no training. Too often municipal cemeteries are operated by parks and recreation departments with little or no experience in a cemetery setting.
All of these issues eat away at cemetery maintenance – and increase the needs for very costly stone and ironwork conservation. It is akin to a fine arts conservator treating an oil painting only to have the client hang the work in a barn. It is time for those of us interested in cemetery preservation to focus more on preventative conservation – and especially preventative maintenance – than on individual object treatments.
This paper examines these issues and also explores the range of landscape maintenance problems found in the cemeteries for which we have conducted assessments. We also offer suggests for maximizing landscape maintenance resources.
Debi Hacker is the conservation administrator of Chicora Foundation, Inc., a public, nonprofit heritage preservation organization, with more than two decades of cemetery experience. Ms. Hacker is a member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), Association of Gravestone Studies; PLANET – Professional Landcare Network; International Society of Arboriculture (ISA); and SC Nursery and Landscape Association. Ms. Hacker is licensed in Category 3, Turf & Ornamental Pesticide (SC) and holds a Landscape and Horticulture Certificate, and a Turfgrass Management Certificate.
Michael Trinkley is director of Chicora Foundation, Inc., a public, nonprofit heritage preservation organization with over two decades of cemetery preservation experience. Dr. Trinkley is a member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC); Association of Gravestone Studies; Association of Preservation Technology; National Trust for Historic Preservation; Preservation Trades Network; and US/ICOMOS – Brick, Masonry and Ceramics Committee. His specialties include stone and ironwork.
Abstract – Patricia O’Donnell and Sarah Cody
PLANNING FOR MUNICIPALLY‐OWNED CEMETERY PRESERVATION
Old North Cemetery Hartford, CT & Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, NY
Authors Patricia M. O’Donnell, Principal, Heritage Landscapes LLC
Sarah K. Cody, Project Manager, Heritage Landscapes LLC
Presenter: Sarah K. Cody, Project Manager,
Heritage Landscapes LLC, Preservation Landscape Architects & Planners
Many cities and towns have cemetery landscapes that once shone as pockets of green space, serving as much needed burial grounds and welcome respites from bustling city streets. Over time, as City resources have become strained, funding is often redirected to parks and playgrounds, which are perceived as more valuable community spaces than cemeteries. As a result, formerly scenic and restful cemetery grounds are neglected or degraded today. Over the course of the last two decades, several US cities have exhibited renewed interest in their burial grounds. Today, people recognize that these public landscapes often represent the spectrum of the population of city, from transient populations buried in unmarked plots, to graves of the famous and influential. Local cemeteries tell stories of the evolution and social history of the broader community and can be both a place of learning and reflection for visitors today. Recognition of cemetery value and increased interest often leads to volunteer clean‐up efforts, formation of ‘Friends’ groups, and preservation planning projects and advocacy.
As cemetery preservation and renewal has gained increasing focus over recent years, it has become apparent that while similar issues are present in cemeteries nationwide, there are also more specific issues that arise. Limited funding, appropriate methods of preserving historic features, and maintenance are common issues hindering optimal use, functionality, and quality of visitor experiences. Specific issues also exist that relate directly to cemetery landscape type, available resources, and perceived value to the surrounding community. Resolution to these issues requires a different approach to renew, enhance, and interpret valued cemetery landscapes.
To best understand the inherent commonalities and particular issues plaguing US cemeteries today, a comparison between two distinctly different cemetery landscapes is explored. Heritage Landscapes is currently developing preservation planning documents for Old North Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut and Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York. These two historic cemetery landscapes offer an interesting comparison.
Located in a modest neighborhood of Hartford, an historic, industrial city, Old North Cemetery was established in the early 19th century to provide the city with a municipal burying ground. When the cemetery was first established, character, use, and perceptions of burial practices were focused primarily on functionality. Soon after, burial practices and perceptions began to shift, focusing more on defining a picturesque character where visitors could stroll along paths under a wooded canopy and dappled sunlight. This later consideration of landscape character and quality is evident at Old North Cemetery largely through the collection of ancient trees. (See Figures 1 and 2.)
Old North Cemetery is a city‐owned cemetery and important green space that offers a valuable resource to the surrounding neighborhood; the character of the cemetery contributes to the character and perception of the broader neighborhood. However, community residents do not appear to embrace the cemetery as a valued community resource. Given the importance of providing accessible, public open space in conjunction with the limited city resources, community engagement is essential to the overall renewal of Old North Cemetery. Heritage Landscapes has recommended creation of neighborhood initiatives such as historically sensitive repair and conservation skill‐building programs, youth training, and other projects as a means to generate interest, foster pride in the cemetery, and stimulate the local community. Utilizing community‐focused initiatives is a cost efficient approach for carrying out specific projects and for enhancing community value of the space.
Mount Hope Cemetery is significant as an intact example of a mid‐19 century designed, picturesque cemetery. It was established and improved by the City of Rochester as part of the emerging rural cemetery movement, a time when scenic, picturesque cemeteries were developed in the United States and abroad. Today, this impressive cemetery landscape conveys its historic character while accommodating limited burials and providing a valued green space and place of respite to Rochester residents and visitors alike. (See Figures 3 and 4.) To better understand the landscape and guide maintenance protocols and future interventions, Heritage Landscapes identified distinct landscape typologies within the cemetery. The character of the grounds and discrete landscape types are defined largely by the relationships between the dramatically undulating ground plane, network of curvilinear drives and paths, woodland canopy, and gravestones and monuments. By understanding the landscape types defined by the relationships between landscape features, specific projects are recommended that will help recapture lost historic features, enhance landscape character, and decrease required maintenance efforts.
Cemeteries throughout the US today are challenged by issues that hinder optimal use, functionality, and maintainability of the landscape. Preservation of valued cemetery landscapes requires consideration of general and site specific issues. Old North Cemetery and Mount Hope Cemetery are two distinctly different landscapes, offering different resources and facing different challenges. Heritage Landscapes has worked with each client group to identify issues as well as future goals to guide future treatment efforts. These cemeteries are important historic and cultural landscapes that contribute to the broader collection of public open space and cultural resources in their respective cities. By preserving these landscapes, we not only foster understanding our history, but we also help guide the future of our communities.
Figure 1. This early 1900s image shows the historic character of Old North Cemetery. Initially focused on functionality, the character was enhanced over time as impressive tree plantings created a scenic, park‐like landscape. Courtesy City of Hartford Archives.
Figure 2. This view shows the current character of Old North Cemetery. While it retains a number of historic features, the overall character and use has shifted overtime. Courtesy Norma Williams.
Figure 3. This early view of Mount Hope Cemetery depicts the overall, picturesque character of the grounds. Curving drives wind scenically around the dramatically sloping ground plane. Deciduous and evergreen plantings enhance the naturalistic quality and the overall modest style of monuments allows visitors to focus on the beauty of the landscape. Meadow planting covers the steep hillside evident at the left edge of the image. Courtesy Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery.
Figure 4. Today, Mount Hope Cemetery retains a high degree of integrity while the varying relationships between steep slopes, vegetative cover, and monument layout require distinct treatment approaches. Courtesy Heritage Landscapes.
Abstract – Cothran
Historic Plants for Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century American Cemeteries
While considerable efforts within recent years have been devoted to cultural, religious, and physical aspects of eighteenth and nineteenth century American cemeteries, little attention has been devoted to the identification and documentation of historic plants in American cemeteries during the same time period. The intent of the proposed presentation is to present an overview of research conducted regarding plants (both native and imported species) traditionally used in American cemeteries in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Research reveals that the number of ornamental plants employed in eighteenth century American cemeteries pales in comparison to the tremendous diversity of trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers and flowers planted in American cemeteries of the nineteenth century. The increased diversity of plants associated with nineteenth century American cemeteries include the influence of the rural cemetery movement and the development of garden cemeteries; the Victorian practice and emphasis of employing plants and flowers as symbolic expressions of personal sentiments and emotions and the expanding number of new and exotic plants arriving in the U S from China and Japan throughout the nineteenth century. Each of these factors are briefly described in The Rural Cemetery Movement. As a result of overcrowding of burials in church yards and urban burial grounds, concern arose in regards to public health and sanitation. In response garden like’ cemeteries were developed in outlying areas of cities and towns on large tracts of land in what generally is referred to as the ‘rural cemetery movement’. The earliest garden cemetery in America was Mount Auburn, developed in 1831 outside of Boston Massachusetts. Coinciding with the need for new burial grounds was the growing interest in horticulture, and the influence of the English informal landscape style. Notable examples of garden cemeteries that soon followed the model established by Mount Auburn were: Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York; Laurel Grove in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Hollywood in Richmond, Virginia, Magnolia in Charleston, South Carolina; and Spring Grove in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to the development of American parks, garden cemeteries provided solace for bereaved, and personal contact with nature by the general public.
Victorian Plant and Floral Symbols – While symbols have been a significant part of cultures around the world since the earliest of times, the practice reached its highest level of refinement during the Victorian era (1837 – 1901). Floral symbols were particularly popular during this period and were frequently used to represent emotions and sentimental feelings. With the increased use of floral symbols, books such as the “Language of Flowers” were published to convey specific emotions tied to a particular plant or flower. Based on the pervasive use of plant / floral symbolism in Victorian society icons of plants and flowers were frequently incorporated into funerary art and gravestones in garden cemeteries. Commonly used symbols included the rose, violet, lily, lotus, ivy, poppy, and ferns. The use of plant / floral icons in garden cemeteries of the nineteenth century spurred the increased use of plants in the landscaping of burial plots and plantings within public areas of garden cemeteries.
New Plant Introductions
In the 1830’s and 40’s many new and exotic plants arrived in America from China and Japan. These new introductions were in great demand to embellish American gardens and grounds. Not only were they prized for their aesthetic value but they also served as status symbols because of their rarity and exotic character. While gardeners were greatly enamored with these newly introduced Asian plants, cemeteries were also anxious to add these unusual and exotic species to cemeteries to enhance their beauty and create park-like settings. American nurseries were eager to offer these imported selections to their nursery catalogues. Several plants included among these new found treasures included the empress tree, camellia, azalea, tree of heaven, and the ginkgo.
Proposed Presentation
Research by the proposer has included including identification and documentation of historic plants in eighteenth and nineteenth century American cemeteries that has extended over ten years. In addition efforts have included examination of historic books / publications and nursery catalogues; review of diaries, journals and travel accounts, and visits to over twenty-five notable garden cemeteries throughout the country. The presentation a currently proposed, will include an overview of the findings in a visually narrated presentation, along with a handout of important research sources and a list of historic plants for eighteenth and nineteenth century American cemeteries to assist attendees in furthering their understanding and use of appropriate plants in the restoration of historic cemeteries.
Abstract – Dewey-Moffett
Piece by Piece: The Restoration of Battleground National Cemetery
Battleground National Cemetery, established in 1864 as a result of being chosen by Abraham Lincoln, is located on Georgia Avenue, NW, in Washington DC. Designated as the final resting place for forty-one of the soldiers killed during the Battle of Fort Stevens (July 11-12, 1864), Battleground National Cemetery is one of the smallest National Cemeteries in existence. Managed by Rock Creek Park as one of its administrative units, the cemetery is one of only 14 managed by the National Park Service. Despite the management challenges of having the cemetery being geographically separated from Rock Creek Park proper, the site itself is in reasonably good condition and well preserved. Although it had been identified as being one of the most endangered historic places in Washington, DC by the DC Preservation Leagues in 2005, the one-acre cemetery and its main features are intact. The headstones and monuments have not been vandalized, cast iron plagues have been left in tact and there is no graffiti found any place on the site. With the exception of the recent theft of a “US National Cemetery” sign at the main entrance, volunteers working with Rock Creek Park staff and the vigilant eyes of the neighbors have helped in protecting the cemetery when interpretative rangers are not on site.
Despite these positives in a difficult environment, the cemetery has suffered in the past from a lack of a holistic approach to maintaining the site. The headstone were crooked and sinking, as well as being barely legible as a result of biological growth. The ornamental, cast iron flagpole and base had suffered extensive degradation as a result of pieces being lost either by theft or heavy corrosion causing the pieces to fall. The Rostrum, constructed in 1921, was suffering from extensive damage due to a leaking roof. The detailing on the plaques were worn away and made it difficult for visitors to read the inscriptions. The four granite monuments, dedicated to the regiments that participated in the battle, were in need of conservation treatment. The Superintendent’s Lodge, a Montgomery Meigs design executed in 1871, enlarged in 1873 with an addition from the 1930s, had been vacated and in need of rehabilitation.
In 2005, the National Park Service, with the help of the National Capital Regional architectural conservator and Rock Creek Park maintenance staff began working to improve the appearance of the site. Regular mowing and trash collection became a priority. Treatment was carried out on the four granite monuments. A cemetery preservation volunteer day, utilizing local groups, reset and cleaned the 28 Civil war era headstones. In anticipation of the upcoming Sesquicentennial, National Park Service staff has developed a systematic approach to tackling some of the larger projects that will allow Battleground National Cemetery to be brought back to the condition it so rightfully deserves. Several projects are currently underway that will rehabilitate, restore, and interpret the site for visitors and to honor those buried there. Conservation treatment projects for the 70 foot flagpole and its ornamental base, the 1880 war department plaques that contain the Bivouac of the Dead poem and cemetery rules and regulations, the cast iron plague inscribed with the Gettysburg address and another national cemetery bronze plague began in 2009. In spring 2009, Architectural and Engineering construction documents were completed for the rehabilitation of the Superintendent’s Lodge and Rostrum. The rehabilitation project has been chosen as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and is slated to begin by September 2010. The final piece of the holistic approach to returning Battleground National Cemetery to its rightful condition is the installation of wayside exhibits to correctly interpret the importance of the cemetery as well as the story of the mislabeled headstones. An exhaustive investigation by an interpretative ranger on staff uncovered the fact that five of the headstones incorrectly identify the man buried in the grave. For the first time in almost 150 years, these men will now be known to the public.
As a result of these various efforts executed across different disciplines, Battleground National Cemetery will once again be the condition expected of the hallowed ground of a National Cemetery.
Co-Presenters:
Catherine Dewey
Regional Architectural Conservator
National Park Service – National Capital Region
Simone Monteleone Moffett
Cultural Resource Specialist
National Park Service-Rock Creek Park
Abstract – Diebolt – Mt. Auburn
Authors: Kelly Streeter and Kent Diebolt, Vertical Access LLC, William Barry and Natalie Wampler Mount Auburn Cemetery
Presenters: Kelly Streeter and Natalie Wampler
Abstract:
Founded in 1831, Mount Auburn was the first large‐scale designed landscape open to the public. Currently juggling its existence as a public destination, National Landmark site and active cemetery, Mount Auburns’ 175 acres boast a wealth of fences, fountains, chapels, ornamental plantings and approximately 44,000 monuments. Tracking conditions and prioritizing upkeep and repairs on these various assets is a daunting task. Currently a survey of the monuments is being completed using a Microsoft Access forms‐based system, and carrying standard laptop computers into the field. Sometimes equipment limitations or failure requiresa traditional two‐step process of inspection taking paper notes in the field followed by data logging back in the office. Currently, there are no photo‐linking features of the system.
Vertical Access developed the Tablet PC Annotation System (TPAS) to allow on‐site documentation of existing building conditions using tablet computers and digital cameras. TPAS combines the utility of the AutoCAD program commonly used by architects and engineers for the annotation of elevation, plan and section drawings with customized programming to streamline quantity measurements and photographic documentations. With the system existing conditions are noted in graphic and numeric formats in AutoCAD using pre‐defined block libraries of material conditions.
TPAS was developed primarily for the inspection of building elevations and has been used extensively for this purpose over the past five years. In reality, the technology can be applied to plan surveys as well, and cemetery assessment is a natural application of the technology. Mount Auburn Cemetery was an ideal partner for a TPAS pilot project. They are already engaged in and committed to completing a thorough multi‐year survey of all of their monuments and the content and structure of the data for their survey has been carefully planned, yet their professional staff and available resources for the effort are very limited.
This pilot project involves the creation of a cemetery‐specific conditions attribute tag library and the training of Mount Auburn personnel in the use of TPAS on a limited survey project. The ease‐of‐use and functionality of TPAS will be compared with their current tracking system. The relative advantages of the two systems will be discussed and cemetery‐specific improvements to each system suggested. This session will explore the potential that TPAS has for Mount Auburn as well as other cemeteries large, small, public and private.
Additional information: Vertical Access LLC and TPAS: http://www.vertical‐access.com/tpas.html
Mount Auburn Cemetery: http://www.mountauburn.org/contact/
Abstract – Dinger – Poplar Grove
Poplar Grove National Cemetery, a unit of the Petersburg National Battlefield, was established in the spring of 1866. The site was chosen so the cemetery would be central to the scattered battlefields from the 292-day siege of Petersburg. In 1933 when the cemetery was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service a dramatic change took place.
In an attempt to incur lower maintenance costs the upright government issued grave markers were removed, the inscription portion with its recessed shield was removed and returned to the graves. In the years since the marble has deteriorated, in some cases to where it is completely illegible. Additionally maintenance of the cemetery has caused significant damage to the markers themselves; chips, cuts, scrape and cracks being the most common.
The cemetery no longer retains its 19th century atmosphere. In an attempt to amend the mistakes of the past and restore Poplar Grove to its post Civil War appearance, a cultural landscape report has been created to give guidance as to how to proceed to rehabilitate the cemetery’s appearance and historic fabric. The biggest issue in this process has become the historical significance of the grave markers themselves.
Various opinions exist as to how to proceed and what role the markers themselves play. Is the most significant resource the altered markers and are they a true historical resource? Is the real resource the graves and their value both to the descendents of those buried there and to the country from a military perspective?
The cemetery was established to care for the remains of fallen soldiers in perpetuity, the markers being merely tools for identification. Is the best course of action to cut and reset new upright Government issued grave markers? Do we correct existing spelling or regimental assignment mistakes or replace the information in kind? Or do we just leave the cemetery as it is and interpret the mistakes? How far do we go to correct the mistakes of the past where there are known errors, both in the physical appearance of the cemetery and in the historical value of the information of the grave markers themselves?
The true dilemma of the Poplar Grove National Cemetery rehabilitation project, and its future, will be determined by the historical value of the grave markers.
Abstract – Frances Ford
Case Study: (Re) removal and (Re) relocation of gravestones: First (Scots) Presbyterian Church,Charleston, South Carolina
In the late 1950s the First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, located prominently on the corner of Meeting and Tradd Streets in Charleston, South Carolina, decided to build a fellowship hall, office and Sunday school building. The decision was made to build the new structure over existing graves in the churchyard, moving the stones themselves to other areas of the church property. Most of the ledgers were placed vertically on existing brick walls to the south and west of the church building. No written records attest to the relocation of the stones, and only a few church members can recall it happening. 50 years later the church needs to expand again, so two of its three existing buildings will be demolished and new, larger structure built.
Preparation for removal, bracing ledgers from the front and attached to the house in the rear
This plan requires that a wall in the center of the property, which had been used as one of the places to relocate the gravestones in the 1950s, be removed before construction begins, so eight of the 19th century ledger stones and one tablet and base must again be moved. The project raised real questions for the church staff and the conservator hired to move and conserve the stones. How exactly had the stones originally been attached to the walls and with what type of material? Would they break when removed from the wall? How best to pack them for the move? Where would they be stored and how? How much repair would be necessary? And ultimately where in the area of the new building could these stone be moved for the third (and hopefully) last time?
Preparation for removal, bracing ledgers from the front and attached to the house in the rear
The removal of the stones and demolition of the wall took four and one half days, six men, one woman, a bobcat and a truck. The brick wall was older than the church was aware of and very well constructed. The stones had been set against it in the 1950s with cavities behind them, attached at the corners with varying mixtures of Portland cement and aggregate. The biggest surprise being was that the stones had been buried an average of 18 inches below grade, sandwiched between a granite curb and Portland cement. The stones were removed, packed and taken off‐site for conservation. This procedure will be discussed in the paper, as will the final manner of reinstalling the ledgers on another existing wall on the church property.
Frances Ford has an undergraduate degree in Historic Preservation and Community Planning from the College of Charleston (2003) and a Master’s in Historic Preservation (concentrating in building conservation) from the University of Pennsylvania (2006). She currently works as an independent conservator, operating Ford Restored, a company that specializes in cemetery conservation issues as well as heading conservation initiatives for Richard Marks Restorations, a nationally known restoration contracting company based in Charleston. She is much in demand for her skills in cemetery restoration and stone conservation, and has been entrusted with the repair of some of the oldest graves in Charleston. She also teaches conservation for the joint Clemson/College of Charleston master’s program in Historic Preservation, located in Charleston.
Abstract – Henderson
Balancing Cultural Considerations and Preservation Priorities at a Historic African American Cemetery
Speaker Information: Dr. D L Henderson, Executive Director, Historic South-View Preservation Foundation
This presentation details a case study in preservation treatment alternatives that illustrates the challenge of balancing cultural considerations against the realities of preservation planning and funding at an African American cemetery.
The South-View Cemetery Association was founded in 1886 by formerly enslaved African Americans as an alternative burial ground that was “a respectable place for Christian burials” in segregated Atlanta. Following the style of Victorian era cemeteries, the historic non-perpetual care section of South-View has a terraced garden landscape with traditional 19th century monuments replete with Victorian symbols, yet elements of African American culture—such as the numerous custom stone funeral home markers—give the historic fabric of South-View’s landscape a unique character.
A metro Atlanta area cottage industry for gravestones has provided temporary markers to African American funeral homes for generations. Unlike their contemporary counterparts, these stone markers represent a distinct appearance and style that is readily recognizable wherever they are found. The stones have been produced since the early 20th century by a single family—specifically for African American funeral homes in Atlanta. Consequently, these unique markers can be found only in a relatively small geographic area, within approximately a 45-mile radius of Atlanta. The stones vary somewhat in style and composition, but are typically cast in advance, then customized as needed with an additional molded plaster tablet. The artisanship required for the creation of these markers is evidenced in their singular style of construction.
Preservation efforts are underway at South-View, including the repair and resetting of stones throughout the historic grounds, as recommended by The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes. However, the treatment plan for the repair of the funeral home markers presents issues, both cultural and economic, that challenge the application of common preservation methods and approaches. Originally, these stones were of little cost, intended to be temporary—they represented a service to families and a business marketing tool for the funeral homes to temporarily display the funeral home name to cemetery visitors. However, by today’s cultural standards, these stones are priceless. In almost all cases at South-View, these temporary funeral home markers are the only markers identifying the gravesites. To lose these markers would be a great historic loss, yet the high estimated cost to repair the fragile markers defied a quick resolution to the issue.
Founded in 2004, the Historic South-View Preservation Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, endeavors to increase community awareness and support for the preservation and restoration of Historic South-View. This case study follows the analysis and decision making process of the Historic South-View Preservation Foundation —with illustrations of markers and treatment alternatives—as it formulated the plan to address the preservation of these historic markers in a cost effective manner, while maintaining the culturally unique character of this African American cemetery landscape.
References
Books
Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo. Your Guide to Cemetery Research. Cincinnati, Ohio: Betterway Books, 2002.
Holloway, Karla F. C. Passed On: African American Mourning Stories: A Memorial Collection. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 2002.
Hughes Wright, Roberta, Wilbur B. Hughes, and Barbara K. Hughes Smith. The Death Care Industry: African American Cemeteries and Funeral Homes. Hughes Wright Enterprises, 2007.
Hughes Wright, Roberta and Wilbur B. Hughes III. Lay Down Body: Living History in African American Cemeteries. Detroit: Visible Ink, 1996.
Nichols, Elaine, ed. The Last Miles of the Way: African American Homegoing Traditions 1890 to Present. Columbia, South Carolina: South Carolina State Museum, 1989.
Strangstad, Lynette. A Graveyard Preservation Primer. Nashville: American Association for State and Local History, 1988.
Online Resources
African American Cemeteries: Philosophy of African American Death and Burial. http://www.mtsu.edu/~then/Cemetery/page7.html
African American Cemeteries Online
http://www.prairiebluff.com/aacemetery/
Association for Gravestone Studies, 278 Main St., Suite 207, Greenfield, MA, 01301. http://www.gravestonestudies.org/
Grave Matters: The Preservation of African American Cemeteries, Chicora Foundation, Inc., Box 8664, Columbia, SC 292028664.
http://www.sciway.net/hist/chicora/gravematters.html
Speaker’s Bio
Dr. D L Henderson is the executive director of the Historic South-View Preservation Foundation. A preservationist, genealogist, and educator, she conducts a popular series of cemetery and genealogy workshops and is a frequent speaker at local and national conferences. For many years, she has researched and written heritage tours on cemetery history and the art and architecture of Atlanta’s Oakland and South-View cemeteries. She also serves as a member of the advisory board of the Historic Oakland Foundation. At present, she is working on a book-length project documenting the cultural history of African American cemetery landscapes.
Abstract – Isaacs
A Survey of Stone Consolidation Methods: The case study of a sculptural monument at Forest Lawn Cemetery
Lauren Paige Isaacs
As a conservation student working with a generalized knowledge of outdoor stone deterioration and viable treatments options, Ms. Isaacs confronts the problems of acidic deposition on calcareous stone using the Pratt Memorial at Forest Lawn Cemetery as a case study in Buffalo, New York. The selected monument was erected in the late nineteenth century and has since suffered from prolonged exposure to acid precipitation resulting in severe granular disintegration (also referred to as ‘sugaring’).
For this project, the original stone was classified as dolomitic limestone using XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) analysis. Comparable weathered stone samples were obtained and similarly classified with XRD for evaluating potential treatment options. After a review of current and traditional treatment approaches for granular disintegration of limestone, four possible consolidation treatments were selected for evaluation. These options included: lime water washes, low viscosity epoxy in solvent mixture, commercially available alkoxysilanes, and alkoxysilanes with the inclusion of acrylic resin (Paraloid B-72).
Following treatment, the samples were subjected to accelerated aging using a series of controlled freeze thaw cycles to approximate a climate, such as Buffalo, over a twenty year period. The samples were then evaluated against each other and a negative control for changes in surface appearance by using photomicrography, depth penetration and overall coverage by viewing cross-sections with SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), and imparted strength by using a modified ASTM International Testing standard for spot abrasion.
The results of this research indicated that for this particular case, alkoxysilanes with the inclusion of acrylic resin performed the best overall. From this investigation it is evident that stone, its deterioration, and possible treatment options cannot be generalized. For every case of stone degradation in an outdoor environment it is crucial not only to accurately characterize the stone in question, but also the environment it is exposed to over time, as well as consider how the two will interact with the inclusion of a consolidation material.
Lauren “Paige” Isaacs specialized in the conservation of objects at Buffalo State College where she earned a MA and CAS in Art Conservation. She grew up in Nashville, TN and received a BA from Washington University in St. Louis in 2004. Paige was compelled to pursue a career in Art Conservation after studying abroad in Siena, Italy followed by a pre-program summer internship at The Frick Collection in New York City. She spent the following year as a conservation intern working full time at the Denver Art Museum in Colorado before entering a program of formal training.
While pursuing her master’s degree, Paige was a part of the Gulf Coast Recovery Project, where she assessed, stabilized, and treated museum objects for various institutions across the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Katrina. After completing her formal training in Buffalo she moved to New York City to complete a practical year of training while working at the Museum of Modern Art. Paige continues to live in New York City working as a freelance conservator through her private practice for various museums, galleries, and private clients throughout the area and beyond.
Abstract – Jablonski
A Crash, A Smash, and Piles of Stone.
Mary Jablonski
Jablonski Building Conservation Inc.
A two-ton mass of steel hurtling through a cemetery leaves a swath of destruction in its path. In the summer of 2006, a small community at the tip of the North Fork of Long Island was left with stone strewn though out their historic cemetery after a driver lost control of his car and it flew through their cemetery before overturning. Over 20 markers were damaged and the local headstone firm said that most of the marble cemetery markers and two of the brownstone markers were not repairable. Through a stoke of luck for the cemetery, an architectural conservator was reading the local paper and was aghast at reading that the broken markers were beyond repair and therefore were to be thrown out. The Conservator immediately called someone she new at the local historical society to say that she thought most of the markers could be salvaged.
After a number of telephone calls, the conservator went to take a look at the cemetery with one of the trustees. She was convinced that the two damaged brownstone markers were repairable and that most if not all of the marble markers where salvageable. Some of the older trustees thought that they should take the insurance money and have new granite markers carved to replace the old damaged ones. The trustees who wanted to at least try to preserve the markers finally prevailed and had the conservator’s firm produce a cost estimate for the insurance company. To do this, the trustees and the conservators visited the cemetery and walked the area where the markers had been damaged. Where the car had flipped, the markers had been reduced to rubble. A partial survey had been undertaken at some point in the past, but there was not a definitive survey of the cemetery. The conservators estimated the number of markers they thought the piles of stone represented. After a long delay, the insurance company produced the money and the conservators were given the go ahead to conserve the headstones.
What the conservators found when they started the job a year later were piles of marble on the floor of a barn. The stones had been taken inside to protect them from being taken or lost. It became time to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Where to begin, was a good questions as it was not clear how many markers there were to begin with? The piles of marble were sorted by marble type appearance and thickness. As the puzzles began to be put back together, it was discovered that there were some very significant losses in some markers.
While most of the markers could be conserved in the traditional methods of pinning and patching, there were four markers that were in too many pieces with too many losses and even the large pieces of these markers could not be drilled for pinning as they shattered. Unwilling to give up, the firm worked to find a solution for saving these shattered markers and the history they represented.
A proposal was made to have concrete pads made to lay the remaining fragments out on and fill in the losses. Several trustees who had not wanted to conserve the markers were very disturbed by this proposal but they were out voted. In the end, the four seriously damaged markers were laid out on a lime mortar bed on top of the concrete pad. Two years after the completion of this work, the markers have been reassessed to determine which treatments were effective and which require repairs. This paper will discuss the controversies in the local community with treating these markers, as well as issues that arise with the treatments required for extremely damaged markers.
Mary A. Jablonski
Mary Jablonski is an Architectural Conservator and Principal of the firm of Jablonski Building Conservation with more than 19 years experience in the field of Architectural Conservation. In addition to running her firm, Mary Jablonski teaches conservation in the Historic Preservation Department of Columbia University’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Ms Jablonski has worked on a wide range of projects including New York City subway stations, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, a sculptural playground in Atlanta, and of course, cemeteries.
Abstract – Jimenez
“Evergreen Cemetery: Priorities in Cemetery Landscape Management”
Corri Jimenez
Evergreen Cemetery in Santa Cruz, California, presents a challenging landscape. As a Victorian garden landscape established in 1858, Evergreen Cemetery is divided into approximately six defined culturally significant burial sections, and is typical of early California cemeteries. These sections represent Chinese graves sprinkled in a hillside adjacent to fenced-in plots of freemasons and Civil War veterans that are all perpendicular to an extensively terraced area of distinguished Santa Cruzans that all correspond to a period of significance between 1880 to 1920.
With a cultural landscape that is rich in Santa Cruz history, the physical topography offers the biggest challenges for Evergreen in managing it. The steep hillside is heavily vegetated by both an ivy groundcover that camouflages and encroaches on stone and wood headstones in addition to redwood trees that tower over shading burial plots, creating a microclimate that supports various insect life and biological growth. Over time, the steep, rough terrain has created drainage problems, eroding and undermining headstones and paths while the roots of the large redwood trees have caused concrete-padded plots to buckle. In addition to the physical environment, there are human obstacles, such as a derelict population that occasionally resides back in the hillside, and has vandalized some headstones. Fraternal groups, such as the freemasons and E. Clampus Vitus (ECV), are active in the cemetery placing plaques to remembering historical figures as well as participating in annual cleaning events. For the past 30 years, elementary school children learn Santa Cruz history from Evergreen by visiting the gravesites of Death Valley schooner pioneers, Mexican alcade, Civil War veterans, and an assortment of colorful characters unique to the city. Dog walkers and families remembering loved ones are also active participants within the cemetery landscape. Besides the physical landscape and the human presence, the headstones and their character-defining features are in great need of preservation, which may range from removing biological growth to resetting a toppled headstone that was damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Like many other cemeteries, a lack of funding is crucial to maintenance and proper preservation.
The cemetery is managed by the Museum of Art & History (MAH), a Santa Cruz non-profit organization. The MAH staff were perplexed as to how to be good caretakers of the site and were new to historic preservation principles specific to the management of a cultural landscape such as Evergreen. In 2008, the Evergreen Cemetery Ad Hoc Committee was established, consisting of preservation professionals, historians, and interested community members, to create a management treatment document for the cemetery. The goal of the document was to articulate a list of short-term and long-term “priorities” that were site specific to Evergreen Cemetery and in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Properties. More so, the landscape needed to be understood, including how to handle the diversity of environmental challenges. In this presentation, Evergreen as it exists today will be addressed and correlated to how the Ad Hoc Committee created a list of priorities, and how these priorities are currently being implemented by MAH.
About Corri Jimenez
Corri Jimenez received her Masters degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Oregon, and serves on the Evergreen Cemetery Ad Hoc Committee as well as worked on the design of the “Evergreen Cemetery Preservation Plan.” She has led Evergreen Cemetery cleaning events, educating volunteers and cemetery enthusiasts on proper preservation principles on how to clean headstones. While in Washington DC, she participated with the National Park Service cleaning Battleground National Cemetery and Congressional Cemetery. While adjunct faculty at Montgomery College in 2004, she oversaw a Historic American Landscape Survey (HALS) student class project documenting the Methodist Cemetery in Rockville.
Abstract – Konkol
NEW APPROACHES TO DETECT AND REMEDIATE MICROBIAL DETERIORATION
Nick Konkol, Chris McNamara, Joseph Sembrat1, Mark Rabinowitz1, and Ralph Mitchell
Harvard University: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Microbial growth is frequently a factor in the deterioration of stone cemetery materials, particularly in damp or humid environments. Metabolically diverse bacteria and fungi attack the stone statuary, monuments and facades through enzymatic activity and through mechanical weathering. The detection and elimination of these growths can be difficult. Removal of their residues is even more difficult as the organisms are frequently embedded deep within fissures and surface crevices. Recently, microbiologists and conservators have begun using enzymes both to safeguard and restore stone artifacts. We have developed two new enzyme-based techniques that can be applied to cemetery materials.
Mold detection
Protecting outdoor stonework from mold is a challenge to conservators. Molds are ubiquitous components of the air we breathe and have the capacity to infect a variety of materials. These fungal infections are often overlooked until they attain enough biomass to be visible to the human eye. A great deal of damage can be done in the time between infection and detection. Current methods used for detecting and measuring fungal biomass on surfaces, such as microscopic biovolume estimates and chemical analysis of the mold, are expensive and time-consuming. In order to facilitate early fungal detection, we have developed a rapid, inexpensive, and non-destructive means of identifying fungal growth.
Figure 1. Fungal growth on marble. Fungal biomass measured over 96 hours on a Carrera marble substratum.
Fungal cell walls are composed of the rigid biopolymer chitin that fungi must continually deconstruct and rebuild in order to grow. Deconstruction of chitin is carried out with chitinase, an enzyme that catalyzes the break-down of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine (NAG). Fluorogenic 4-methylumbelliferyl (MUF)-labeled NAG can be used as a substrate to detect chitinase activity during mold growth. Originally developed to detect and quantify fungal chitinase activity in soil1 it was quickly demonstrated that MUF-NAG could be used to detect fungi on building surfaces2. We used this assay to quantify fungal biomass on a variety of materials, including marble (Fig. 1) with sensitivity comparable to that of chemical techniques (lower detection limit near 40 µg dried mycelium). Our assay can be used to detect early mold growth on stone surfaces as an aid to conservators in identifying “at risk” materials.
Stain removal
Remediation of outdoor sculptures, monuments and facades that have suffered from microbial deterioration also poses a challenge to conservators. Treatments developed to clean them are often time-consuming, expensive, risk further damage, and are not always effective. Enzymes may overcome many of these limitations, and have already found use in the remediation of frescoes and easel paintings3. We have begun to expand the use of enzymes for remediation by conducting experiments on open-air marble sculptures. Many marble sculptures, monuments, and facades throughout Europe and North America suffer from biodeterioration. It often manifests itself as unsightly red stains whose removal has been problematic.
Figure 2. Decolorization of prodigiosin. Absorbance –ΔE570 of the prodigiosin solution from 0 to 240 m after the addition of laccase. Data are the averages of three reactions.
We determined that red-brown stains on Isamu Noguchi’s marble sculpture Slide Mantra in Bayfront Park, Miami, Fl, were probably caused by pigment-producing microorganisms. Traditional cell culture methods were first used to isolate a red-pigmented bacterium from a stained area of Slide Mantra. Sequencing and analysis of the 16S rRNA gene identified the organism as a strain of Serratia marcescens. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that the pigment produced by the Bacteria was most likely a prodigiosin. Our analysis found that the enzyme laccase, isolated from the fungus Trametes versicolor, effectively decolorized pure prodigiosin (Fig 2). Tests of the effects of this enzyme on the bacterium that stained Slide Mantra similarly decolorized the stain. This study suggests that enzymatic decolorization may be applicable to stains on culturally significant marble caused by microbial colonization. We are currently investigating the use of this enzyme and others to remediate the surfaces of Slide Mantra and other marble sculptures exposed to outdoor air.
1. Reeslev, M., M. Miller, and K.F. Nielsen. 2003. Quantifying Mold Biomass on Gypsum
Board: Comparison of Ergosterol and Beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidase as Mold Biomass Parameters. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 3996-3998.
2. Miller, M., A. Palojärvi, A. Rangger, M. Reeslev, and A. Kjøller. 1998. The Use of
Fluorogenic Substrates to Measure Fungal Presence and Activity in Soil. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 613-617.
3. Ranalli, G., G. Alfano, C. Belli, G. Lustrato, M.P. Colombini, I. Bonaduce, E. Zanardini,
P. Abbruscato, F. Cappitelli, and C. Sorlini. 2005. Biotechnology applied to cultural heritage: biorestoration of frescoes using viable bacterial cells and enzymes. J. Appl. Micro. 98: 73-83.
Abstract – Martin – Slavid
Case study of the restoration of the Monument at Massacre Bay, A’asu, Tutuila, American Samoa
Author: Martin Johnson, Partner, Monument Conservation Collaborative
Co-author: Irving Slavid, Partner, Monument Conservation Collaborative
Abstract
This monument marks the site of a violent encounter of French explorers–the first Europeans to make landfall on these islands–with the Samoan people in December of 1787. It was listed (AS-32-004) on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, cited in the NRIS as 1972-04-13.
There are several components to the A’asu Monument as it exists today. The largest of these is the central portion of the monument, probably built in 1884. It is a sloping stucco-covered box of complex shape, resting on a multi-level platform, and supporting a large French bronze plaque with the date of 1883. (Smaller commemorative plaques are mounted on its rear face.) In 1948, an iron fence seen in an early photograph was replaced with a concrete wall, and a concrete cross was placed to replace the previous one, which was also of iron.
The presentation will include a description of the testing of materials suitable for a tropical climate, and of the difficult logistics of working in an extremely remote area, along with a detailed discussion of treatments. These treatments were intended to slow down deterioration of the monument, and to re-establish a coherent appearance to it, essentially as it was with the addition of the concrete wall and cross in 1948. Our emphasis was on the preservation of surviving fabric, including previous repairs that were still mechanically sound. Consideration of new conservation materials was based on issues of physical compatibility (with contiguous historic materials), and of product reliability.
With specific respect to the latter, there is–as there is on all conservation projects–an important question of the balance between craft and science. Highly technical products formulated for long service life often have complex application requirements that make them difficult to utilize in the field. More conventional products, while easier to apply, were not likely to do well at A’asu, where the rainfall and biological growth are extreme, and where periodic “touch-up” is not a viable option.
This dilemma was made more complicated by the need to accomplish all of the work within a very limited time schedule. Our approach was the undertaking of this work with highly qualified preservation craftsmen, using products (both commercial and custom formulations) with which they have worked comfortably and successfully on past projects. Final product selection took into account the application conditions and weathering environment of A’asu, and the question of the timing of multiple treatments.
MARTIN JOHNSON, Vice President of MCC Martin, educated as a geographer, has 6 seasons of experience with MCC, undertaking cleaning, resetting, patching and chemical consolidation. He has been an instructor at the NCPTT cemetery training workshop for
the past 3 years.
IRVING SLAVID, President of MCC Irving is recognized as an authoritative specialist in the restoration of New England’s historic sandstone, marble, and slate grave markers. Slavid helped design the first cemetery training workshop for the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (National Park Service), and has continued to serve as an instructor for NCPTT.
Abstract – Miller – Chauncey
Reverend Nathaniel Chauncey, Jr. Crypt, Old Burying Ground, Durham, Connecticut
Reverend Nathaniel Chauncey, Jr.
Reverend Nathaniel Chauncey, Jr. was the first minister in Durham, CT and served the community from 1706 until his death in 1756. He was born in Hatfield Massachusetts in 1681, to the parents of Reverend Nathaniel Chauncey Senior and Abigail Strong. His grandfather, Reverend Charles Chauncey, was the second president of Harvard College from 1654-1672. Reverend Nathaniel Chauncey, Jr. was the first student to graduate from the Collegiate School in Saybrook, CT. The Collegiate School was chartered in 1701 for youth to be educated for “employment in Church & Civil State.” The school relocated to New Haven, CT in 1716 and was renamed Yale College in 1718.
Crypt Condition
The Connecticut Valley sandstone gravemarker of Reverend Nathaniel Chauncey, Jr. consists of an above ground, table top crypt. The structure originally relied on stone mortise and tenon joints between four corner posts and monolithic foundation and table top sections. Four side panels keyed into the corner posts and interior rubble prevented the panels from pushing inward. The crypt suffered from years of weathering, organic growth, disaggregation of the stone, severe deterioration of the lower crypt sidewalls, failing inappropriate repairs, losses, failure of the original mortise and tenon joints and failure of the stone foundation.
Treatment
The general soiling and loose biological growths were removed with Biowash and gentle hand scrubbing. Rinsing with water at 2,500 psi with a 40 degree fan-tip at a working distance of 18” to 30”, depending on the stone fragility, removed the solution and much of the soiling. Localized treatment with ProSoCo SK 766 Limestone Prewash (sodium hydroxide) and Afterwash (acetic acid) removed tenacious growths. Hammer, chisel and Dremel removed repair mortars and smeared mortar on the stone surfaces. Compressed air and water removed loose debris from cracks.
Using scaffold towers, I beam, hoist and trolley, the crypt was opened, rubble removed and the sandstone disassembled and staged for continued treatment. The friable sandstone was consolidated with Conservare OH-100, following the prescribed cyclical applications and MEK rinse. The stone was protected from direct sun exposure and rain with plastic sheeting for a week and left to cure for 9 weeks.
A new concrete footing and support slab, reinforced with 316 stainless, was cast below the removed foundation stone. The profile of the slab conformed to the irregular profile of the historic sandstone base by using forms trimmed to the stone contours and floating the foundation sections (protected with plastic) onto the slab and wood form.
A lead sheet barrier isolated rising damp from the concrete and the foundation stone set in a bed of mortar. A 316 stainless steel armature and anchor system was fabricated to fit into the crypt hollow to support the corner posts and side walls. The stones were wet diamond cored, anchored and epoxied with Hilti Hit 500, positioned and attached to the armature. A missing corner post was fashioned in the nearby Portland quarry. A mortar consisting of 1 white Portland: 2 lime: 8 red sand, sealed all joints. Patches were done with Jahn M70tinted with Bayferrox Pigments. Small cracks, preflushed with 10% ethanol and water, were injected with tinted Jahn 32.
Francis Miller, Directing Conservator
ConservArt LLC
Abstract – Miller
Conservation of the Augustus Bloedner Monument, Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville Kentucky
Presented by: Patty Miller, Senior Conservator, Conservation Solutions, Inc.
The August Bloedner Monument, also known as the 32nd Indiana Monument, honors the fallen soldiers of the 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, also known as the “First German,” at the Battle of Rowlett’s Station, near Munfordville, Kentucky. On December 17, 1861, the regiment successfully defended a crucial bridge: 500 soldiers fought back 3,000 Rebels. Thirteen members of the 32nd were killed and 30 were wounded.
Christian Friedrich August Bloedner served as a private at the battle. Wishing to honor his fallen comrades, he carved a memorial from a slab of locally quarried limestone, completing it in January 1862. The memorial was placed over the interment at the battlefield, but in an effort to consolidate the bodies of dead Union soldiers after the end of the Civil War, the remains along with the memorial stone were moved to Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky in June of 1867. Upon placement at Cave Hill, the memorial stone was mounted on to a limestone base and positioned at the site where it has been recognized at the oldest Civil War Monument.
Time and the elements have not been favorable to the preservation of the Bloedner Monument. The Ste. Genevieve Limestone of the carved memorial tablet began to show signs of significant deterioration in the latter half of the twentieth century. A 1955 photograph of the tablet recorded the carving and inscription in good condition; by 2008 more that 50% of the inscription had been lost due to surface exfoliation.
At the request of the Heritage Preservation on behalf of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Conservation Solutions, Inc. (CSI) performed an inspection of the monument to determine the feasibility of moving the monument, and recommend treatments to address the observed conditions. In late 2008 CSI relocated the monument to an indoor facility where it underwent conservation treatment in early 2009. This presentation will discuss the goals of the conservation treatment in the context of the client’s decision to permanently relocate the monument to an indoor display location.
Paterson Abstract
Catherine Paterson, B.Sc., M.A., Ph.D. Candidate, McMaster University
Poster Presentation Abstract
This research explores recent efforts to maintain historic family cemeteries in the Niagara region of Ontario. These family cemeteries were first created during settlement by Loyalists in the late 1700s and throughout the 1800s by subsequent settlers. Some are still in use today, but the majority are no longer used for burial. Modern intervention is often seen in these cemeteries when monuments are repaired or in cases where monuments are collected and embedded in concrete. There are additional cemeteries where efforts to maintain them take various forms instead of or in addition to monument preservation. In some of these cemeteries markers no longer remain, markers are not in need of work, or markers were set in concrete rather than being repaired. Instead of the preservation of individual monuments in these cemeteries, there is a range of endeavours that focus on extending the visibility and presence of the cemetery once the original monuments are gone.
Examples include the Culp, Lampman and Butler family cemeteries. In the case of the Culp Family Cemetery no monuments remain, so it is a heritage sign that indicates the presence of the historic burial ground and outlines its place in the history of the region. The Lampman Family Cemetery is the burial location of a husband and wife in a cluster of growth in the centre of a farm field. The marker of Charity Lampman has disappeared, but that of her husband Samuel is still standing and is in good condition. A local heritage group has placed a large granite boulder at the burial site with a plaque with the Lampman’s names and birth and death years. At the Butler Family Cemetery the original slab monuments, several of which are broken, have been set flat in concrete or in the ground. In 1967 granite tablet replicas were created and placed above each flat historical marker.
These endeavours indicate a desire to maintain a physical record of the existence and location of each cemetery and to ensure that the identity of those buried there will not be lost. This clearly extends the lifespan of the visible component of the cemetery without the use of traditional techniques to preserve individual historic monuments. Family cemeteries in the Niagara region such as Culp, Lampman and Butler offer an opportunity to explore (1) creative variations in the methods used to prolong cemetery existence; (2) the role and use of historic cemeteries as ties to the past and the heritage of a region; and, (3) the links between local heritage and how and why such recent preservation efforts are carried out by communities.
This research falls within my broader Ph.D. research that focuses on the creation and use of family cemeteries in the Niagara region during 18th and 19th century settlement. I am exploring the links between cemetery use and family, community, memory and identity and the transition to the use of municipal and church cemeteries as settlements developed.
Preliminary results indicate that during their use, family cemeteries were locales where settlers negotiated various aspects of identity including their family, community and country of origin. When looking at the use of cemeteries by families for burial in the past and more recently by communities for maintaining links to their past, there is a continuity of family cemeteries as being places where identity and collective memory are created and negotiated.
Abstract – Simpson – Peterson
Geophysical Investigations of Historic Cemeteries: Results and Implications
Duane Simpson and Ryan Peterson
Geophysical investigations conducted within marked and unmarked cemeteries throughout the Midwest, southeast, and beyond have provided a wealth of information. Geophysical investigations have aided in delineating poorly defined cemetery boundaries, provided insights into interment practices, and provided a non-invasive means to obtain information about historic cemeteries. Case studies from historic cemeteries investigated in Texas, Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Missouri will be discussed.
Geophysics is a powerful tool for planning and management, especially when disturbance of the soil is not an option. A clear understanding of the desired result is critical. The variables that affect the successfulness of geophysical investigations include: environmental conditions (i.e. moisture level, surface conditions, soil type, etc.), historic land use of the investigation area, and selection of geophysical techniques. As with any technique, the results from a geophysical investigation are much more powerful when considered in the boarder context of historic cemetery studies. Archival research, mapping, and other available data enhance the quality and productivity of geophysical investigation. This presentation will focus on a variety of these investigations, discussing successes and failures using differing instrumentation and techniques. Cases will be discussed that illustrate information obtainable from geophysics beyond horizontal and vertical position of graves. Geophysical investigations are not always the best tool for the job. The factors involved with selecting the appropriate investigation technique(s) will be discussed.
Abstract – Leach
Sara Amy Leach, Senior Historian
National Cemetery Administration
Department of Veterans Affairs
National Cemeteries: Post-Civil War Landscapes in Transition
The system of designed national cemeteries that President Lincoln authorized in 1862 evolved in form and formality throughout the second half of the nineteenth century in the wake of the Civil War. Visitors no longer see the small cemeteries of less than 10 acres with their generous open space, natural and managed plantings, clusters of domestic buildings occupied by resident superintendents, and ornamental and symbolic artifacts sprinkled throughout the sites. These scenes are captured only in early drawings, photographs and written accounts.
The first impermanent generation of wooden structures—buildings, fencing, and head boards to mark graves—lasted less than a decade. Osage orange hedges, floral beds or mounds, and grassy walks somewhat longer. Memorial monuments—large and small, erected by friends, regiments and states—were installed to honor the fallen. By the 1870s permanent cemetery features were underway. The most significant construction was the masonry Second Empire-style lodge credited to Montgomery Meigs; others include a brick tool house and “comfort station,” brick or stone walls, and iron gates. Cemetery layouts were influenced by militaristic orderliness as well as, in some locations, the design ideals of contemporary cemeteries and advice from designer Frederick L. Olmsted.
However, starting in the twentieth century, these secular, honorific landscapes were increasingly reduced to dense burial sections highlighted by underutilized historic lodges and rostrums. Even the most historic cemeteries run by the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) today reflect the priority of burial needs over the preservation of historic landscape aesthetics; this is particularly apparent at “expanded” sites where newer sections do not complement original designs. It is NCA’s mission to provide burials to veterans and eligible family members, and to achieve this we continue to develop new cemeteries or enlarge older properties. Among NCA’s 128 national cemeteries are 72 sites that date to the early 1870s.
This presentation will document the changing physical and memorial nature of NCA’s national cemeteries during the decades immediately after the Civil War, starting with the collection of the human remains and their relocation to permanent burial grounds. The developmental era of the cemeteries—associated with modest, impermanent facilities—closes once permanent masonry constructions are complete. By the dawn of the twentieth century these designed landscapes reinforced early recognition of the national cemeteries as “national shrines” in locations where the war played out.
Abstract – Stein
GIS Tools for the Cultural Resource Management of Cemeteries
James Stein
National Park Service
Cultural Resources GIS
Too often, because of the historic nature of cemeteries, knowledge of burials and conservation is documented in paper forms and the experiences of individual caretakers. Taking these historic texts and maps and combining them with GPS surveys and digital photography into a GIS allows for better management and long term planning.
Reasons for mapping cemeteries include cultural resource conservation, maintenance of markers and monuments, facilities and ground management, records management, interment planning and locating existing interments.
The Historic American Landscape Survey/Cultural Resources GIS (HALS/CRGIS), in cooperation with the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration, has been developing GIS tools to use in the documentation and management of national cemeteries. Fourteen of these cemeteries are adjacent to, and managed by, NPS units. In the past we have developed locator applications for Poplar Grove National Cemetery, located at the Petersburg National Military Park, and Chalmette Cemetery, located at the Chalmette National Military Park.
The cemeteries were mapped using contemporary and historic maps, aerial photographs and global positioning system (GPS) units. Database information and photos of the grave markers were associated with the GIS data. Ancillary data such as historic and contemporary photos and documents were combined into Adobe Acrobat documents and hyperlinked to the appropriate point in the GIS. Additionally a VBA application was developed to provide a simplified search of the existing interments with the results displayed along with a photograph of the grave marker and the location of the grave highlighted on the map.
Each cemetery is different with different mapping needs; to preserve the unique historic nature of cemeteries we must be willing to address the needs of each individual landscape and adapt the application to meet these needs.
Abstract – Teal
African American Material Culture in Cemetery Trees
Rolonda Teal
Co-Founder of Cultural Lore
Tree 1: Notice the nails holding the pacquet in place in the tree and the cloth surrounding objects placed inside.
In March of 2003 while conducting a surface investigation of New Nazarene Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery grounds in Natchitoches Parish, some form of religious material culture was identified in two trees which were located on the eastern edge of the cemetery. The artifacts in the trees are believed to be pacquets, talismans, or fetishes which are designed to protect sacred spaces, the wearer, or to bring good or bad luck.
Tree 1: This is the bottom portion of the paquet and is believed to represent the female spirit.
Traditionally, these types of artifacts and the religious beliefs associated with them held an international appeal. Examples of their use can be found in parts of West Africa, Haiti, Cuba, and Brazil among other countries. The contents of the two trees at New Nazarene Cemetery appeared to match the description of a pacquet as described by anthropologist Alfred Metraux in Voodoo in Haiti (1974). According to Metraux, the Haitian pacquets were used in pairs to mark the entrance of a scared place. They are designed to represent both genders with the female pacquet having a slightly elongated top. Each pacquet can contain a mixture of herbs, blood, and animal bones. They are then wrapped in cloth and bound by string finally winding up in an incision in a tree that appears to be designed to completely cover the object over time.
Tree 2: This smaller paquet is decorated in brightly colored cloth and was placed less than 15 feet from Tree 1.
While pacquets, talismans, and fetishes are commonly and openly practiced in some regions of the globe, this is not the case in the northwestern portion of Louisiana. The inability to identify other examples of pacquets in the state suggests that this appearance was perhaps a lone incident and not necessarily part of an organized religious group. So who then placed two pacquets in the trees and for what reason?
Tree 2: Just as in Tree 1, this object is held in place with nails and vines that have begun to consume the pacquet.
This presentation will explore a trend by some African American feminists who have veered from traditional religions and are now creating their own form of spirituality which is largely based on a combination of various religions, including ancient African ones and Christianity. Trends such as these tend to create a gap in understanding African American material culture in cemeteries in the 21st century.
Abstract White-Whitesell-Gentry
Wright-Whitesell-Gentry Cemetery Excavation and Relocation
Nancy Ross Stallings and Stephen Nawrocki
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) recently authorized, funded, and coordinated the excavation and relocation, in its entirety, of the Wright-Whitesell-Gentry Cemetery (12Ma944). This rural mid-late nineteenth century extended family cemetery had been located in Castleton, Indiana, just north of the Indianapolis metropolitan area. This project represents collaboration among INDOT archaeologists, The Corradino Group, AMEC Earth & Environmental, and the University of Indianapolis Archeology and Forensics Laboratory, with contributions by the Indiana State Museum and the Purdue University Wood Research Laboratory.
This presentation will discuss the results of the field investigations, analysis of gravestones, funerary items and textiles, osteological and taphonomic analysis, and mitochondrial DNA analysis. The excavation and relocation of the Wright-Whitesell-Gentry Cemetery involved close cooperation with family descendants, coordination with public agencies and historic preservation groups, and public outreach. Family members were included in the planning process and collaborated in the research.
The excavation occurred within a few yards of the busiest highway intersection in Indiana, attracting heavy media attention. Archaeologists conducted excavation of the cemetery under constant public surveillance and media scrutiny, leading to several innovative approaches to public archaeology.
Abstract – Yerka
Geophysical Testing and Grave Detection at the Nashville City Cemetery, Tennessee
Stephen J. Yerka
Archaeological Research Laboratory
Dept. of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
In April of 2009, personnel from the Archaeological Research Laboratory (ARL) at the University of Tennessee’s (UT’s) Department of Anthropology conducted an exploratory geophysical survey at the Nashville City Cemetery. The primary objective of the survey was to identify any possible unmarked graves or other subsurface anomalies within the project area. The research design for this study included the use of several different geophysical instruments including ground penetrating radar (GPR), soil resistivity, and geomagnetic survey. The project area was selected in coordination with the Nashville Metro Historic Commission, and provided the opportunity to obtain geophysical survey data over areas with a high potential for containing unmarked graves, and areas of known, marked burials. The goal of the research design was to develop a survey strategy on a sample of the City Cemetery that would provide information for developing the most efficient and cost effective means for obtaining reliable and positive data results for other portions of the cemetery.
The study covered an area greater than 4000 m2, with different instruments overlapping collection units. The project was mapped with a total station and imported into GIS software in order to correlate results with mapping surveys that have been completed previously at the cemetery. The GPR survey was conducted with a GSSI SIR-3000 unit with a 400 MHz antenna, the soil resistivity was recorded using a Geoscan MPX-15 soil resistance meter, and the geomagnetic survey was completed using a Bartington 601 fluxgate gradiometer. Although some onsite interpretation was possible, the results of the data collection are most easily understood after statistical processing. Processing was accomplished using several proprietary software packages that will be discussed briefly in this paper.
Each geophysical technique produced survey results containing anomalies that are highly likely to indicate unmarked graves. Not all techniques detected anomalies equally well, but the GPR survey and the geomagnetic survey both performed very well in this testing situation. The nature and character of the anomalies detected by the GPR and gradiometer differ in response, and in some cases anomalies detected by one instrument were not detected by the other. This paper will discuss these differences as well as the different target types associated with an historic cemetery and how they may be characterized through geophysical investigation. These target types include not only burials, but also burial shafts, other ground disturbance associated with interment or removal, buried grave markers, buried family enclosures, old walkways/roadways, and modern disturbance or contamination. Future research at the cemetery should use a combination of large-scale gradiometer survey paired with focused GPR survey to obtain the highest probability for identifying unmarked graves at the Nashville City Cemetery.
Stephen Yerka is an IT Specialist with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has been working with the Archaeological Research Laboratory (ARL) for the last six years, and currently manages IT related operations for the firm including DBMS, GIS and Geophysical services. The Archaeological Research Laboratory (ARL) is a consulting, cultural resource assessment, and research unit dedicated to the conduct of high quality and timely work for government agencies and private entities, while providing hands-on learning experiences and opportunities for students, educators, and the interested public. Stephen has conducted geophysical survey projects throughout the Southeast on prehistoric, historic and forensic sites. He currently serves also as an instructor for the National Forensic Academy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee instructing on the use of geophysics for forensic investigation.
Abstract – Weiss & Slavid
Materials I: “Performance-based Evaluation of Materials & Methods for Monument Conservation”
Norman R. Weiss and Irving Slavid
This paper discusses laboratory and field studies undertaken by the authors to determine and/or predict the effectiveness of a range of stone conservation treatments used in historic cemeteries. The techniques utilized to evaluate treatment efficacy range from laboratory instrumentation to inexpensive, low-tech procedures (such as tape testing) that are suited to being performed on site.
The choice of particular materials and methods involves a surprising variety of parameters, including ease of use, which is often related to the conservator’s level of skill. Manufacturers’ recommendations and product cost also play significant roles in the selection process. In most situations, the decision to accept a treatment (and to use it extensively) is only based on an initial sense of success, related to appearance upon completion of the remedial work, or to short-term behavior without obvious failure.
When systematic testing is done prior to product selection, another problem is encountered: the lack of deteriorated stone from which to produce specimens for comparative laboratory assessment. The authors will discuss the use of small specimens (derived from weathered building materials) in their work, presenting information on breaking strength and ultrasound measurement.
Ultimately, however, the key issue is that of performance, that is, long-term behavior in service. Most experts agree that the best approach to studying performance is periodic inspection. Cemeteries, essentially arrays of stone outdoors, lend themselves to this concept, if stone conservation efforts are thoroughly and systematically documented, and if we come together as a community to share information on product performance.
But even experienced practitioners seldom return to re-examine their work years later, nor do most of us have the patience to wait for such long periods of time to fine-tune our conservator’s bag of tricks. Accelerated weathering tests (such as freeze/thaw and acid rain simulation) will be reviewed in this presentation, and compared with observations made on technical aspects of the authors’ fieldwork over the past decade.
Abstract – Russell
Make it Better than it Was: Poor Design and New Problems in Cemetery Restoration”
Robert Russell
Director, Program in Historic Preservation and Community Planning
Fundamental starting points for monument conservators are that the object worked on
should not be modified, that original materials should be conserved as much as possible
and that compatible materials should be used where necessary. These are generally valid
and should be taken to heart, but two unspoken assumptions lying behind all these
strictures is, first that the design of the grave marker was good to begin with, and second,
that circumstances do not change. These are not always the case.
The subject of the proposed paper is such a case. Box tombs were popular — in the South
especially – in the first halfofthe 19th century. The box tomb was grander than a
simple headstone, but not as fancy (or expensive) as a more elaborate form of marker.
They are very prevalent among the antebellum grave markers in Charleston, South
Carolina. Because of general ignorance about burial customs and a surprisingly
widespread belief that these boxes are, in fact, the tomb itself and not just a marker, they
have been subject to more than their share of vandalism as people pry or shift the ledger
stones off the boxes in search of loot or ghoulish pleasure. Even where vandalism does
not occur, these markers are classic examples of poor design, frequently coupled with
poorer execution.
At the insistence of a client (who had been an engineer) whose graveyard was subject to
frequent vandalism, especially of its box tombs, I have, after working on nearly two
dozen such markers, developed a series of repair methods that result in a restored tomb
marker indistinguishable from an intact original but one that will long outlast an
unmodified box tomb and that discourages all but the most persistent vandals (who
cannot be stopped anyway).
The weak points of a box tomb’s design are primarily that it
- relies on the weight of the ledger stone to hold it together, but the total weight of the monument is such that
there is very frequent subsidence, which is not consistent, therefore leaving parts of the
tomb unbraced; - that the side panels are held in place by only the most tenuous means:
shallow channels cut in the comer legs and thin iron or copper pins set in holes in the top
edges of the legs and side and end panels; and - that the ledger stones simply rest on the
box itself.
By substituting a concrete slab for traditional (and inadequate) brick footings;
building a supporting brick ‘I’ structure inside the box; substituting new, thicker
bronze cramps for the deteriorated original metal pins and leading them firmly into the stone
, and by pinning the ledger stone to the new interior brick supporting structure, it is
possible to repair a box tomb so that it looks completely original but will not fail again in
the same way, all without excessive additional cost to the client.
Key issues: engineering challenges, stone, masonry, metals.
Robert Russell is the Addlestone Professor and the Director of the undergraduate
program in Historic Preservation and Community Planning at the College of Charleston.
He has taught courses in cemetery conservation and restoration for that program, and has
worked for a number of years as a restorer of monuments and tombs in Charleston and
elsewhere.
Abstract – Bry
Planning: “Thinking Outside the Fence: A Comprehensive Model for Historic Cemetery Management”
John Bry, CMSM
What Happened to the historic cemetery? Why are so many in a state of decline, disrepair, or abandonment? This presentation examines the root causes of historic cemetery’s struggles ranging from the lack of financial resources to land management issues. “Thinking Outside the Fence” will present the first known comprehensive model for historic cemetery management that not only includes conservation in its approach, but also addresses four other main categories such as Money, Management, Marketing, and Master Planning. Over the past four years, John Bry has visited countless cemeteries in the eastern U.S., spoken with their leadership, met with community leaders, and understands how the national death care industry operates. He began to see a pattern of need, issues, and approaches that could be applied to any cemetery of any size and any location. Using common sense approaches seen in the community revitalization world, and applying those standards to historic cemeteries, it is the hope a new national conversation on the place of these icons in the cultural landscape will emerge.
Abstract – Church
Comparative Study of Commercially Available Cleaners for Use on Federally-issued Headstones
Jason Church, Materials Conservator
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
In 2004, the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) and the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) (an office of the National Park Service) entered into an agreement to study the effectiveness of commercially available cleaners to remove biological growth from federally-issued marble headstones. The project goal was to test cleaning products for effectiveness and appropriateness and to make recommendations of products and methods best suited to both clean and preserve the headstones.
This study incorporates five national cemeteries that are distributed both geographically and climatically. Cemeteries included in this study are Alexandria National Cemetery in Pineville, LA; Bath National Cemetery in Bath, NY; Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO; San Francisco National Cemetery, in San Francisco, CA; and Santa Fe National Cemetery, in Santa Fe, NM. Cemeteries were chosen to represent various regions of the National Cemetery Administration as well as different climatic zones.
Cleaners chosen for this study were user friendly, suitable for large scale cleaning studies, environmentally safe and cost-effective. NCPTT canvassed a variety of cemetery stewards in both private and NCA administered cemeteries to determine the variety of cleaners currently being used in the field. Products chosen for the study included surfactants, chelating agents, biocides, and offered a range of pH from acidic to basic. Five cleaners were selected including D2 Architectural Antimicrobial, Daybreak, Kodak Photoflo, H2Orange2 Grout Safe cleaner, and World Environmental Group’s Marble Cleaner. Water from the site was also used as a control cleaner.
The two main focuses of the study were to evaluate the biological regrowth properties of the cleaners and to monitor any chemical or physical change to the marble itself. To accomplish this task numerous tests were utilized on both headstones in the field and lab samples. Federally issued upright grave markers are cut from two main types of stone, a Colorado Yule marble and Georgia marble. Both of these marbles were included in the test to determine if the marble type played a factor in the stones durability to the cleaners and biological growth.
For the biological aspects of the study NCPTT partnered with the Micro Biological Laboratories of Harvard University. Before any work was preformed each headstone was swabbed. The culture was then sent to Harvard for analysis. This analysis identified biological growth types such as fungi, algae, molds, and mildews. With each identified type of growth a biological count was identified to show not only what was found on the stone but in what quantity. After the stone was cleaned it was again swabbed for any biological regrowth. This information was used to compare the biocide properties of the chosen cleaners.
Any physical or chemical changes in the stone were tested in a variety of ways. Each headstone and lab sample was photographed and colorimeter measurements were taken throughout the study for visual comparisons. Each of the cleaned headstones and lab samples were also analyzed using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence instrument. This is used to detect any residue such as soluble salts on the marbles surface. Marble core samples from the quarry were also treated with the cleaners then put through a QUV accelerated weathering instrument. These samples were mapped with a laser profilometer prior to and after treatment to determine any surface change caused by the cleaners. A variety of other analytical tests are being preformed to help determine any chemical changes in the stone.
The end result of this study is to provide the NCA with recommendations on which cleaner(s) may work best in each of the different climatic regions of the United States. The recommended cleaner(s) must have both the cleaning properties required by the NCA to maintain the National Shrine standards and cause no harm to the marble itself. This is important for long term cost effectiveness and to maintain the historical qualities of our National Cemeteries.
Abstract – Grissom
Materials Conservation Session: “Conservation of cemetery monuments, memorials, and statuary made of zinc”
By Carol A. Grissom, Senior Objects Conservator
Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution
Inexpensive zinc cemetery monuments, memorials, and statuary made by several different methods were erected in American cemeteries beginning around 1870 and continuing into the early twentieth century. The fabrication method often determines the type of damage sustained and, as a result, the most suitable conservation treatment.
The most common items were made by the Monumental Bronze Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and similarly named subsidiaries in the U.S. and Canada. Thousands of ordinary markers, many replicas of Faith, Hope, and Charity, a few life-size statues of the dead, and enormous Civil War memorials crowned by statues of soldiers can be easily spotted by their distinctive blue-gray color in many cemeteries throughout the country. Advertised as made of “white bronze,” these products have sandblasted finishes to imitate the mat appearance of stone. Large white-bronze monuments have problems of metallic “creep” on account of their weight, which typically results in sagging between corners and cracking at corners. When necessary, stainless-steel armatures should be installed for support. Filling monuments with concrete should always be avoided, as it almost invariably leads to far more serious damage that is very expensive to remedy. Falling trees and vandalism also lead to breakage of this brittle metal. Seam separations and cracks can be repaired by soldering or welding or with plastic repairs. Corrosion is a potential problem in highly polluted atmospheres, but white-bronze monuments should only be coated as a last resort since coatings destroy the stone-like appearance of their surfaces.
Sold by the J.L. Mott Iron Works and J.W. Fiske, soldiers and firemen made of zinc and painted to imitate bronze were erected in cemeteries by veteran’s groups and municipal governments. Also sold for placement in cemeteries were the occasional naturalistically painted elk made of zinc, encircled by tombstones of members of the Benevolent Order of Elks, and cast-iron fountains with classicizing zinc statues, usually painted white in imitation of stone. Since the largest of these statues is lifesized, repairs usually involve rejoining seams that have come apart, repairing cracks resulting from breakage, and applying suitable paint.
A third type of zinc statue was sold by the Daprato Statuary Company in Chicago beginning in 1913, even as zinc statuary production otherwise waned. The company’s Crucifixion Groups and saints are found in Roman Catholic cemeteries and churchyards, made of copper-plated zinc referred to as “orbronze.” Copper plating on zinc is unstable in an outdoor environment, and severe pitting of the zinc accompanied by loss of the copper plating is common. There are no good options for re-mediation.
Abstract – Duncan
Title: Geospatial Mapping and Thematic Documentation of Historic Cemeteries
Allison Duncan, AICP
Ecos Environmental Design
The goal of this presentation is to demonstrate how current technology including GIS
mapping, spatial analysis, and thematic documentation provide new dimensions to the
analysis of historic cemeteries. Expanding upon traditional methods of cemetery
documentation and preservation, these new tools and processes help to better articulate
and prioritize existing conditions and issues to a variety of stakeholders at a micro and
macro level.
Micro level (Site)
Oakland Cemetery (48 acres) and Harmony Grove Cemetery (l acre) are located in the
heart of Atlanta, Georgia, and were analyzed and studied using thematic mapping and
GIS mapping methodologies. Despite their difference in size, both cemeteries dealt with
a number of issues including: viewsheds, grave locations, vegetation conditions,
circulation, zoning, and other off-site conditions. Traditional cemetery mapping and
analysis techniques focus on specific conditions related solely to the cemetery or
gravestones without regard for other environmental conditions or factors, which may
extend beyond the cemetery boundaries. Less emphasis is put on investigating broad
scale themes that greatly impact a site’s ability to be preserved and maintained.
Examining these issues in a thematic manner allows complex issues to be given greater
weight with a broader audience, while GIS mapping places analysis and research into an
expanded context. Mapping both cemeteries focused on a broader approach,
investigating issues both within and around the cemetery.
One results of these efforts included greater stakeholder input because of the ability for
those individuals outside the preservation and design community to understand the issues
relative to the site. Additionally, the community and stakeholders were able to better
prioritize preservation efforts, that went beyond basic cyclical maintenance needs. The
ability to broadly interpret and display these issues assisted the stakeholders and the
community to develop a better understanding of their cultural asset.
Macro (region)
Morgan County, a rural in northeast Georgia, undertook a survey of historic cemeteries in
2007. The county includes approximately 356 square miles of mostly agricultural land;
226 cemeteries were documented within unincorporated areas and incorporated
municipalities, using GPS tracking and GIS mapping. Not only is this a valuable tool to
protect historic cemeteries from damage caused by present-day development, but it also
outlined historic patterns of development which formed the basis of a rural preservation
land use plan. Over 25 historic communities were identified within Morgan County
using a variety of archival sources and historic maps. Many of the structures associated
with those communities have long since disappeared, but the cemeteries remain as
tangible placeholders of the legacy of these former communities.
With this information in place, it became a priority to identify those characteristics that
are typical of rural cultural landscapes and understand these characteristics in the context
of the historic communities in which they were located. In the future, these cemetery
locations may foster the creation of historic districts as well as the preservation of
significant rural cultural landscapes.
In summary, both of these projects in their respective rural and urban contexts create
opportunities to see the bigger picture and broader themes of an area or community
beyond just the cemetery site. By comparing the elements of geospatial mapping and
thematic documentation involved with both, this presentation will demonstrate how
technology allows for micro and macro analysis of the significant characteristics,
monument typologies and trends that each site represents, and it lends itself to prioritizing
decision-making in a manner that respects not just the fabric of the individual site, but its
significance to the overall context. These methods are essential to the understanding of
the individual site, contribute to larger planning endeavors, and assist in priority setting
and placemaking that benefits both the site and the community.
Abstract – Perunko
National Cemeteries: “The Evolution of Government Headstones and Markers”
Jennifer M. Perunko, Historian
National Cemetery Administration
The history of government headstones pre-dates the establishment of the National Cemetery System in 1862, to the Western Expansion-days of the United States when military forces served mainly as a constabulary, policing the ever-expanding frontiers across Indian border lands. In the normal course of events, soldiers died and garrison commanders were compelled to bury their dead, mainly in cemetery plots within post reservations, but sometimes where they fell far from human settlements. In time, a fairly uniform method of marking burials with impermanent, rounded-top wooden boards bearing a registration number or inscription developed.
Although this system may have been adequate for frontier times, it could scarcely meet the needs of a National Army that came into being at the beginning of the Civil War. Two months after the Battle of Bull Run, the War Department issued General Orders No. 75, September 11, 1861, which made commanders of National Forces responsible for burials and marking of graves. In this same authority, the Quartermaster General of the Army was directed to provide headboards, and blank books and forms for the preservation of burial records. On paper at least, the War Department created the first organized system of marking graves.
However, marking graves during wartime proved more difficult than supposed and little in the way of grave marking was actually carried out. By the close of the Civil War, the federal government was faced with approximately 620,000 Union and Confederate dead scattered across more than 20 states. After the work to locate, identify to the extent possible, and move the dead from battlefields to national cemeteries and soldiers’ lots in private cemeteries, the War Department was faced with the problem of how to honorably mark the soldiers’ graves for perpetuity.
Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs championed for some time a squat metal marker with an inscription in raised lettering on the top, which was not looked upon favorably from many quarters. Had this been carried out, the look and feel of the national cemeteries would have been vastly different than what we see today. Some families often took it upon themselves to mark the graves of their loved ones with everything from simple stone slab markers with only the soldier’s name inscribed, to large, ornate monumental works in stone and metal.
Finally in June 1873, the stone marker (either white marble or gray granite) inscribed with the soldier’s name—abbreviated if necessary—, rank (above private), military affiliation (state or USA/USN for regular Army/Navy) and grave number was decided upon. No mention was made of the recessed-shield that would come to define the Civil War headstone and have such a visual impact on the national cemeteries. A low square, 6” x 6” stone marker, inscribed with a grave number on top was selected to mark the graves of unknown soldiers.
Bidding began later that same year by persons interested to supplying the federal government with the more than 250,000 headstones needed to mark the graves of Union soldiers. The process was not easy, with charges of favoritism and backroom dealings on the part of the Secretary of War William Belknap. In 1867, a Congressional inquiry was conducted to determine the extent of the malfeasance. However, by that time Belknap had resigned his position and the current secretary of war had issued an order transferring the entire management of national cemeteries and the headstone contracts to the Quartermaster General. By the early 1880s, the majority of the graves in national cemeteries and soldiers lots had been marked with the “Civil War”—or more-aptly “Recessed-shield”—headstone.
This presentation will further document the development of the iconic “Recessed-shield” headstone, and the headstones and markers that followed for use in the national cemeteries, Confederate cemeteries and soldiers’ lots, and in the marking of all graves for U.S. military veterans up to the present day.
Biography – Eric May
Dr. Eric May is a professor of Microbiology at the University of Portsmouth School of Biological Sciences.
Currently May is conducting collaborative research with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to investigate new methods of preventing algae from growing on headstones in military cemeteries around the world. The types and distribution of algae on stone have been assessed on First and Second World War graves. Environmentally-friendly methods of reducing algal growth are being researched as the next phase of this project.
Dr. May is currently coordinator for a European consortium investigating ways of treating building materials with microbes using bioremediation (BIOBRUSH). Early collaboration with the Building Research Establishment at Garston helped establish his research in heritage microbiology, especially in relation to damage of historic buildings and monuments by microbes. Now the aim of research is to make microbes work to remove salt damage using biotechnology.
May is also active in environmental research, particularly pollution control by wastewater treatment. His research involves collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering through the Environmental Engineering Research Group, a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers.
Algal populations on military gravestones and possible control by biological methods
Green algae are common colonizers of stone throughout the world and reports of the growth of this group of organisms on buildings and monuments come from across Europe, south-east Asia, Central, North and South America. Standard treatment methods to date have centered on abrasive and chemical treatments rather than biologically-based solutions.
It is widely accepted that risk assessments for any treatment should include the potential for re-growth or accelerated growth and any impact upon the structure of the stone. In addition, chemical treatments are increasingly subject to tighter control from an environmental aspect. In recent years, ecological studies of naturally-occurring biological control of aquatic algae have focused on viruses, which cause lysis and subsequent death of the host organism. Viruses are found in sediments and are believed to be important in natural control of algal populations. This paper will describe pilot studies to assess the relative effectiveness and impacts of bioremediation by viruses for removal of growths of algae from Portland limestone.
Our research was concerned with testing the feasibility of using viruses that pose no health threat to humans to control natural algal populations on stone. Two surveys were conducted at the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, UK and data were collected on patterns of algal cover on headstones. Algal cover was highly variable within the sections of cemetery sampled. Proximity of tree cover or shading vegetation, age of headstone, and front versus back aspect of headstone all appear to be influential on algal contamination. Three zones of algal cover are evident on headstones, at the crown, the base and the central area of the headstone and this is common to both faces.
The analysis of microorganism diversity suggested that the diversity of each of these zones to be different. Patterns of microorganism diversity suggested that a number of different taxa are common across groups of headstones samples from Brookwood. Much of the work that has been done on algal viruses has been for aquatic systems but the presence of naturally-occurring viruses in isolation plates was demonstrated for Brookwood headstones.
Although we were able to identify viruses using fluorescence microscopy, we were not able to isolate and amplify these viruses in the laboratory. Nevertheless, using paired algal hosts and viruses from aquatic systems, we obtained evidence that they can inhibit algal populations on stone in laboratory culture. Our results demonstrate proof of principle that algal types that are commonly found on the stones can be inhibited by viruses on stone in the laboratory.
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My wife’s gr-gr-grandfather is a Union soldier buried there. When we visited this grave site last October we were quite dismayed at the condition and damage done to the stones by lawn mowers running over and chipping it. At the time we did not know the full history of the markers being altered in the 1930s. We would fully support the efforts to restore them.
Would it be possible for a private citizen to be able to contribute to the restoration of their family’s marker or replacement? Perhaps a volunteer effort of those with relatives there could help accomplish some of this initiative to restore to their original condition.
Dear Robert,
The best person to talk with will be Betsy Dinger Elizabeth_Dinger@nps.gov who is a historian for Petersburg National Battlefield and Cemetery.