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| "Why shouldn't old rnarble gravestones be cleaned with a high pressure power washer? | ||
| "How can we repair our stones that were just broken by vandals?" | ||
| These are typical questions asked by churches, historical societies, and municipal governments throughout the state as they take renewed interest in their local cemeteries. Over the past few years there has been a sizeable increase in requests for (North Carolina) Historic Preservation Office (HPO) assistance from groups responsible for the preservation of historic grave markers. | ||
Statewide cemetery workshops, such as those held in Beaufort in 1990 and Chapel Hill in 1993, have revealed a nearly universal need for more information on the basic principles of gravestone conservation. This article provides caretakers of historic cemeteries with a comprehensive outline of the latest conservation practices. As always, readers are encouraged to call the HPO's Restoration Branch for more detailed information or an on-site visit. We also welcome hearing about your experiences with gravestone cleaning and repair. |
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Many of the following techniques were refined and put into practice by Lynette Strangstad, a leading gravestone conservator. Her authoritative book A Graveyard Preservation Primer (1988) is a "must read" for anyone planning any type of cemetery preservation work. In his new book Conserving Buildings, the noted Canadian conservator Martin Weaver has included detailed specifications for cleaning and restoring grave markers. |
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| Note: The above is an excerpt from the dated but excellent article that the Alabama Historical Commission (Alabama's SHPO) provides as a handout and which we provide as an Adobe PDF file at the link below. The article was written by North Carolina Historical Preservation Office's Peter B. Sandbeck and published in the NCHPO's Fall, 1994 Newsletter. The image quality of the Abode file is readable but is less than ideal - it's the best we've been able to locate to date. | ||
| Note: link to PDF pending | ||
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Copyright©Alabama
Cemetery Preservation Alliance (ACPA), 2003-2009 |
