http://www.albrojournal.com/cemetery.htm#CemTop Working in Graveyards A. Cleaning and "Restoring" If you are working on your family tree, you are almost certainly visiting cemeteries. "Visiting" may not be quite the right term: inhabiting may come closer for those of you who spend more time trying to read old, worn gravestone inscriptions than you spend at home! In any case, sooner or later you are going to encounter small, possibly private, cemeteries that have had no care in decades. They may have been vandalized, overgrown, made practically inaccessible. The stones may be sinking out of sight, broken, fallen over, covered with moss and/or lichen, worn, faded, nearly or actually illegible. You, a group from your church, the Boy or Girl Scouts, your family, or everyone who owes you a debt, may want to clean up that cemetery and repair the monuments. You need to know that there are many people who believe very strongly that you should NOT touch that cemetery, on the grounds that if you don't know what you're doing, you can make things much worse! Our opinion is that cl! eaning the grounds, clearing brush, pulling weeds, and the like are not nearly as controversial as trying to repair gravestones. Don't pull trees out by the roots if the roots may have grown into the coffins and other remains. Have respect for the dead while cleaning up. Take pictures before, during, and after everything you do in there. Don't remove any rocks or stones - they may have been all the markers that families could afford! That about covers all anyone can say about cemetery site cleaning, except for the obvious fact that you must get permission from the owner of the cemetery (there always is one somewhere) before you do anything whatsoever! When it comes to repairing gravestones, the commonest advice is go get an expert. That typically means someone from out of town who charges money for advice. How does one get to be an expert in repairing gravestones? By having somehow successfully repaired gravestones. This is how one becomes an expert at anything! Can YOU learn all that is known about the successful repair of damaged gravestones? Most assuredly. There are no degrees in it, and it does not have certification agencies. One warning however; the REPAIR of gravestones and the RESTORATION of gravestones are two different things. The common or garden variety genealogist will neither have the knowledge nor be able to obtain the highly specialized equipment and materials that would be needed to RESTORE a damaged or worn out gravestone, as that term implies "returning it to approximately its original condition". Don't claim to the owner that what you are going to do is "restore" the cemetery. So if (and only if) you find that the owner of the cemetery, or the organization responsible for it (which could be the town or county) neither intends nor has funds for its repair or cleanup, yet would like to have it repaired/cleaned, and if you receive clear permission to provide this service, then we suggest you do the following: a.. Make notes of any limitations, restrictions, or requirements associated with the permission you or your group was given. You absolutely must follow them. b.. Have your browser go to the following links, where you can learn how to repair grave markers as well as anyone anywhere knows how to do. Detailed Instructions #1 Successful Projects What the Government Learned The Most Important One [Return to top]

Hi Ann - That line about no photographs is included in a list of items not allowed to be placed at the grave sites. I don't think it means you can't take photos of the graves - well I hope it doesn't mean that. Whether the cem. is owned by the diocese or by the parish, it is still a privately owned cemetery. Lisa ----- Original Message ----- From: "AHarney" <aharney@exis.net> To: <RIGENWEB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2006 10:43 AM Subject: [RIGENWEB] Cemetery regulations > Listing of regs for Diocese of Providence cemeteries: > http://www.dioceseofprovidence.org/cemeteries/?active_page=parishes > > The last line under policies: > Photographs of any kind are not permitted. > > That is a big surprise! > > If the cemetery is not owned by the diocese, I would wager a priest could > say it was private. Talking about Old St. Mary's are you?? > > Ann

Bob - All cemeteries are or were at one time, owned by some one or some group. The small family ones over time became abandoned and are now owned by the current land owners, or in some cases by cities or towns and are overseen by the historical societies such as in Warwick. Others are privately owned by a corporation - like Swan Point. In your case, the cemetery is owned by the Catholic Church. The church has 2 types of cemeteries - the large Diocesan cemeteries owned by the Diocese of Providence, and the smaller cemeteries owned by the individual parish they were originally attached to. As I said in my earlier message, I don't think the priest is saying you can't repair the stones, just that you can't do it yourself. You have to follow the appropriate procedure - which probably means hiring a monument company to do the work. You might get more information by calling a monument company and asking if they've ever done work over there, and what is involved as far as far as getting permission. Lisa ----- Original Message ----- From: "bob ryan" <ryanblack@cox.net> > What if a priest claims a cemetery to be private? Is there such a thing as a > private cemetery? > > Bob > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <Usaf1135@aol.com> > > http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statutes/title23/23-18/23-18-10.2.HTM > 23-18-10.2 Exemption from liability. – (a) A city, town, or public body > shall not be held civilly liable for any breach of duty resulting in injury > to the > person or damage to the property or any person who voluntarily and without > compensation, undertakes to maintain or to repair any designated historical > cemetery pursuant to § 23-18-10.1, provided that nothing in this section > shall > eliminate or limit the liability of a city, town, or public body: > (1) For acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional > misconduct or a knowing violation of law; or > (2) For any malicious, willful, or wanton act. > (b) A private landowner permitting access over his or her property to a > historical cemetery for the purpose of voluntary maintenance or repair of > the > cemetery shall not be held civilly liable for any breach of duty resulting > in > injury to the person or damage to the property of those seeking to repair or > maintain the cemetery. >

Working in Graveyards A. Cleaning and "Restoring" If you are working on your family tree, you are almost certainly visiting cemeteries. "Visiting" may not be quite the right term: inhabiting may come closer for those of you who spend more time trying to read old, worn gravestone inscriptions than you spend at home! In any case, sooner or later you are going to encounter small, possibly private, cemeteries that have had no care in decades. They may have been vandalized, overgrown, made practically inaccessible. The stones may be sinking out of sight, broken, fallen over, covered with moss and/or lichen, worn, faded, nearly or actually illegible. You, a group from your church, the Boy or Girl Scouts, your family, or everyone who owes you a debt, may want to clean up that cemetery and repair the monuments. You need to know that there are many people who believe very strongly that you should NOT touch that cemetery, on the grounds that if you don't know what you're doing, you can make things much worse! Our opinion is that clea! ning the grounds, clearing brush, pulling weeds, and the like are not nearly as controversial as trying to repair gravestones. Don't pull trees out by the roots if the roots may have grown into the coffins and other remains. Have respect for the dead while cleaning up. Take pictures before, during, and after everything you do in there. Don't remove any rocks or stones - they may have been all the markers that families could afford! That about covers all anyone can say about cemetery site cleaning, except for the obvious fact that you must get permission from the owner of the cemetery (there always is one somewhere) before you do anything whatsoever! When it comes to repairing gravestones, the commonest advice is go get an expert. That typically means someone from out of town who charges money for advice. How does one get to be an expert in repairing gravestones? By having somehow successfully repaired gravestones. This is how one becomes an expert at anything! Can YOU learn all that is known about the successful repair of damaged gravestones? Most assuredly. There are no degrees in it, and it does not have certification agencies. One warning however; the REPAIR of gravestones and the RESTORATION of gravestones are two different things. The common or garden variety genealogist will neither have the knowledge nor be able to obtain the highly specialized equipment and materials that would be needed to RESTORE a damaged or worn out gravestone, as that term implies "returning it to approximately its original condition". Don't claim to the owner that what you are going to do is "restore" the cemetery. So if (and only if) you find that the owner of the cemetery, or the organization responsible for it (which could be the town or county) neither intends nor has funds for its repair or cleanup, yet would like to have it repaired/cleaned, and if you receive clear permission to provide this service, then we suggest you do the following: a.. Make notes of any limitations, restrictions, or requirements associated with the permission you or your group was given. You absolutely must follow them. b.. Have your browser go to the following links, where you can learn how to repair grave markers as well as anyone anywhere knows how to do. Detailed Instructions #1 Successful Projects What the Government Learned The Most Important One [Return to top] B. Reading Hard-To-Read Inscriptions There are literally thousands of Internet sites that offer advice on this subject. Half of them seem to assume the cemetery is in your back yard, you have at least six helpers to carry your supplies, and you have six months to spend working out the contents of the faded inscriptions. I will make a few comments here for the person who makes a quick drive to an out of the way cemetery, or the person who happens to spot an interesting one along the highway and decides to take a quick walk-through. In either case, he (she, you, whoever) spots a gravestone with an inscription vaguely suggestive in its faded illegibility of a name you are researching for your family tree. But you can't quite make it out! Too worn, too overgrown with lichens, too crumbled on the edges. What can you do without a lot of special equipment? First, forget about shaving cream. Using it is equivalent, in my book, to ripping the pages out of public phone books. You got what you wanted, and to .... with anyone else! Will shaving cream hurt the stone? No, Nature will hurt the stone. The shaving cream will just make it easier for Nature to do the job. Do you really need a technical explanation, for example from a chemist who minored in geology? O.K., you asked for it. Have you ever seen a rock cliff without rock chip debris at the bottom of it? I seriously doubt it. Breaking loose chips from the surface of rocks happens because water gets into all the cracks and expands or contracts with temperature. Eventually it breaks off chips. This happens just as easily, only the chips are tiny, with a gravestone. When you use shaving cream, the water in the tiny cracks doesn't completely evaporate (dry), because the emollients from the cream prevent it (that's what emollients are for!). The small amounts of fatty acids also ten! d to form a crust over the moisture in the cracks, further preventing evaporation. So the moisture is trapped there, dutifully expanding and contracting (or worst of all, freezing!) and breaking off tiny chips until the carvings have been blurred hopelessly. Was that a "C", "O", "Q", or "G" ? We'll never know. Can't you rinse the cream all off? No, because it's in the cracks! How about rubbings? After all, taking rubbings of gravestones has been a venerable hobby for centuries! Sadly, good rubbings require special equipment and a lot of practice. You are not going to be able to do rubbings worth doing when you unexpectedly stumble upon an interesting cemetery during an evening drive. But if you want to learn the technique, I recommend the following source: www.savinggraves.com/education/bookshelf/rubbings.htm. Good luck. So what do I really recommend? In general, regardless of what clever trick I've tried from somebody's web site (and most of them are summarized on www.savinggraves.org/education/bookshelf/alternative.htm), I've always found it easier to read a difficult inscription from a photograph than directly. You want the camera facing the inscription straight on, but you want the light coming from the side. The ideal would be for the light to just skim the surface, so shadows will be entirely inside the inscriptions. You may be able to arrange that with a mirror, or even aluminum foil flattened over cardboard, to reflect sunlight from the side across the front of the stone. If the sun is right behind you as you crouch there with your camera, you will need two helpers. One holds the reflector while the other blocks the direct sunlight. If even this approach isn't enough, but you can get water, spraying the stone with PLAIN WATER will help because the inside of the carvings will absorb m! ore water than the surface, giving a different reflectivity. If there is no sun, e.g. it is raining or very overcast (or dusk), you may be able to aim your flash at the reflector instead of directly at the stone. Then the real trick is, scan the picture or transfer the digital picture file into a computer and process the image with software that can control the contrast and brightness! There are too many commercial programs of this type for me to be fair in recommending one. I use a freeware picture viewer/editor named Irfanview. Enhancing the contrast may help or hurt. Experiment and find out! [Return to top] [Return to Main Menu]

Hi Bill - I believe Bob Ryan is talking about the same situation - a catholic parish cemetery that the particular parish cannot afford to restore. If you want to repair a stone in such a cemetery, I'm sure you will be allowed to hire a qualified monument company to repair the stones. Call the church and ask how to proceed. I don't believe they are saying it can't be done - they are just saying you have to follow their rules. If a storm blew over all the stones, and the cemtery workers righted them all, no one would complain. Following this logic, I don't think the church would need permission from the owners of the stones that have fallen over to stand them up again if the church decided to make repairs in the cemetery. The point here is that it is the church who owns these cemeteries so it is the church who will have to give permission for any repairs If you and Bob are asking about restoring the entire cemetery, it would seem to me that a meeting with the priest is in order. There might be parishioners and other interested people in the community who would hopefully be willing to improve the cemetery. [there are parishes who sponsor boy scout troops that need projects....] If you could put together such a group, the parish priest might be willing to work with you. The best thing would be for someone who personally knows the priest to talk to him about the situation with these cemeteries and see what the feelings are about getting something done, so you will know how to proceed. There's always some politics involved..... In the end, it all comes down to money - an unused historical cemetery is probably pretty low on their list of priorities. Lisa ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Waterhouse" <wm.r.waterhouse@mailstation.com> To: <RIGENWEB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2006 9:10 AM Subject: Re:Re: [RIGENWEB] Cemetery Stone Repair Class > My family plot is in an old Catholic cemetery which dates back to > the 1800's. I note many stones which have fallen over under their > own weight due simply to age. The church which owns the cemetery > has little, or no money to maintain the cemetery other than cutting > the grass. I note that these fallen stones have dates going back > into the last century; thus there are no 'families,' as you state, to > get permission from. What would the procedure be in cases such > as these to get these stones repaired? > Thank you for any suggestions. > Bill Waterhouse > Mystic, CT

Hi Bob - The Catholic cemeteries and other active cemeteries have their own rules. If you want to repair a headstone in an active cemetery you probably need to request the cemetery caretakers to do it for you, or hire a monument company they approve of to do it. The active cemeteries have perpetual care fees that they would probably like you to pay to take care of these kinds of problems. If you are talking about a non-catholic historical cemetery, you probably still need permission from the owner. I don't think your Catholic Priest was lying - he was probably just relaying his knowledge of the rules of an active Catholic Cemetery. You really need to know what you are doing so that you don't make the situation worse, or injure yourself in the process. It would have been better if the message writer identified the group who was conducting this class, and the credentials etc..... Lisa ----- Original Message ----- From: "bob ryan" <ryanblack@cox.net> To: <RIGENWEB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2006 11:50 PM Subject: Re: [RIGENWEB] Cemetery Stone Repair Class > Hi, I was told by a Catholic Priest that the stones in the cemetery were not > to to be touched an that it is against the law. I wanted to raise some to > ground level and he sai that I should not do that. Do you know if he is > right or wrong. > Thank you Bob Ryan > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Evie WHEELER" <eviewhee@verizon.net> > To: <RIGENWEB-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2006 4:38 PM > Subject: [RIGENWEB] Cemetery Stone Repair Class > > > > There will be a Cemetery Stone Repair Class in Narragansett on May 9th at > > 6:30 pm. > > The one hour class will be at the "Lucky Star" Historical Cemetery on Pt > > Judith Rd (Rt 108) in front of Stop and Shop. Best place to park is at > > Stop and Shop. > > This will be hands on repairing. > > For more information call Evelyn @401-789-3503 or ee mail > > eviewhee@verizon.net > > Weather permitting. > >

I guess I should have added to the notice of the class that it will be by a professional stone cutter. He is graciously volunteering his time and with the town approval he is getting us the material for cost. All we are doing is repairing, not restoration. This Lucky Star Cemetery is the Historical Cemetery #6 in Narragansett. Eviewhee

Whenever I hear about untrained people going into a cemetery to clean it or to repair the gravestones I think back to all to damage done to gravestones in the past by well intentioned people who inadvertantly do damage to gravestones with amateur repairs. (see the stones in Ancient Littleneck Cemetery in East Providence that have been destroyed by being encased in cement. See the marble stones in North Burial Ground in Providence that were repaired with iron straps whose bolts have now grown with rust and exploded out the stone. See the small family cemeteries where Boy Scouts have clipped off bushes over the years to a point where now the roots are so robust that they have toppled gravestones. See the colonial slate stones in the Common Burial Ground in Newport that have been permanantly stained by untrained gravestone rubbers.) I have visited over 2000 cemeteries and burial grounds in Rhode Island since 1987 and have seen significant damage to gravestones. Very little of this damage was done by vandals surprisingly. Of the repairs I have seen I would estimate 35% are well done, 35% are marginal and could have looked better with more training, and 30% have done significant damage to the gravestones they were trying to repair. The best place to go for information on gravestone repair is the Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS) web site: www.gravestonestudies.org At the very least if you have not read A Graveyard Preservation Primer by Lynette Strangstad you should not attempt a gravestone repair. Below I have copied some of the information from the AGS site. Please go to the site for more information. Where can I get the best information about fixing cemeteries? A Graveyard Preservation Primer by Lynette Strangstad This is the very best source in print for finding information on cemetery preservation. You will find here understandable instruction oriented primarily to non-professionals and also useful for professional stone conservators. The subject matter covers the entire spectrum from surveying a cemetery to determine what most needs to be repaired or restored, preparing a plan for a restoration project, documenting data from and about the stones, cleaning, repairing, and resetting stones. See Preservation in the Store Directory to purchase this book. What happens at an AGS Conference Conservation Workshop? This is a full day program including brief lectures on basic conservation procedures, followed by "hands on" application in a local cemetery. Small groups of conferees, each with a staff person to instruct and supervise, are assigned stones needing cleaning and poulticing, resetting, and simple adhesive repairs. Instructive handouts are provided including lists of tools, materials, and sources of products used in conserving stones. We have many stones encased in cement. Is it possible to remove the cement without damaging the stone? Stones that are "encased" in cement whether in a vertical or horizontal position are best left alone. Attempts to remove encasement are rarely successful and should only be attempted by trained professionals with appropriate equipment. Why can't I use shaving cream to highlight inscriptions on difficult to read stones? Our professional conservators tell us it is definitely not a good idea to use shaving cream on porous gravestones because there are chemicals, greasy emollients, in shaving cream that are sticky and very difficult to remove from the stone with a simple washing. Indeed, even with vigorous scrubbing and lots of rinsing, the cream fills in the pores of a porous stone and cannot all be removed. The result of leaving it there is that in time it may discolor or damage the stone. Instead, use a mirror to shine sunlight across the face of a stone, making the lettering stand out. For an explanatory leaflet on this technique, see Store Directory, Field Guides, "Photographing Gravestones." Always prefer a non-invasive method on gravestones just as we do on medical tests on our own bodies. Is it possible to remove graffiti left by vandals? This is probably best done by professional conservators. The type of paint and the method of application requires skilled assessment to determine which products are appropriate to remove graffiti without harming the stone. Time is of the essence. The longer the graffiti remains on the stone the more difficult it is to remove it successfully. The stone has broken at the base. The old base is either broken itself or we can't get the stub out of the recess. How can we make a new base? How To Cast a New Base for a Stone In the early 1930's WPA workers restored many gravestone using the best-known material available, sand cement. Tablet stones were often placed directly into bottomless forms filled with cement, or holes dug in the earth were filled with cement and the stone thrust directly into the "puddle". Many stones treated with this method have subsequently broken at the point where the stone enters the surface of the cement. A recommended treatment for this situation is to cast a base of concrete (pre-mixed works well) with a recess for the stone of sufficient length, width, and depth to permit using a high mortar mix to secure the stone in the base. Step 1. The first step in this process is measuring the stone to be reset (see fig.1) and then preparing a form of sufficient dimensions based on the measurements. Measure its height, width, and thickness. Particular care must be taken when measuring the width and thickness of that part of the stone that will be inserted into the formed recess in the cast base. Irregularities such as curvature, shoulders, and varying thickness must be taken into consideration. Also, the end to be inserted into the recess in the base must be at right angle (or nearly so) to the vertical edge of the stone. A particularly "ragged" bottom may be "trimmed" using a masonry blade in a circular saw. The safest method is employing a monument dealer to do the "trimming". (Fig. 1) Stone dimensions Step 2. A "box" form should be constructed that is 7 inches greater than the measured width and 7 inches thicker than the stone measurements. The height of the "box" form should be at least 6 inches plus an additional ½ inch for each 8-12 inches of the measured height of the stone. For example, for a 42-48" height the box depth would be 6-1/2". (Fig. 2) Box for casting a new base Step 3. Construct a block to form a recess in the box. The width and length of the block forming the recess should be at least 1 inch greater on both dimensions than the stone, depth at least 3 inches plus 1/2 inch deeper for each 8-12 inches of measured height of the stone above 36". (Fig. 3) Side view of recess block Step 4. Thoroughly saturate the interior surfaces of the box and the recess block with linseed oil or similar material to insure the form will "release" the casting when it is cured. Pour in the cement to the point where the recess block makes an indentation. Secure the recess block to the box form and continue filling the remaining space with concrete tamping with a stick to compact the concrete. As soon as the concrete surface becomes dull (about an hour) and a trowel mark holds its shape, remove the recess block carefully. Permit the casting to "cure" for a week, wetting it frequently to assist the "curing” process (see Fig. 4) (Fig. 4) Top view of recess block in box form filled with concrete (the dark-shaded area). If the block has become too firmly embedded in the concrete it can be extracted later using a masonry bit to drill several holes up from the bottom until the drill reaches the block; then drive the block out with a dowel. These holes will be covered when mortar is introduced to set the stone. Step 5. The cast base should be allowed to "cure" for a week or so. Frequent wetting of the cast will aid in the curing process. Step 6. Set the new base into the ground on a bed of pea gravel and sand for drainage. The top of the base should be an inch or so below grade so that it does not show since it could detract from the appearance of the stone. Check that the cast is level lengthwise and crosswise. Step 7. To set the stone in place, a high lime mortar mix (1part #1 Portland cement, 4 parts hydrated lime, 8 parts fine sand) should be prepared. First lay a 1/2 inch layer of mortar in the bottom of the recess, set the stone in place, fill the perimeter with mortar to the top of the cast base and slightly above shaping a "bead" to assist water run-off (see Fig. 5) (Fig. 5) Reset stone mortared into the base and braced. Step 8. Backfill and brace the stone ensuring it to be plumb (vertical) and level. Remove brace after a week or so. More preservation information: See "Tools and Materials for Gravestone Cleaning Projects" and "Selected Brand Name Materials for Cleaning Gravestones" in More Information, FAQs. Also see the Gravestone Preservation Kit that is for sale in our Store Directory, under Kits. --------------------------------- Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2¢/min or less.

Listing of regs for Diocese of Providence cemeteries: http://www.dioceseofprovidence.org/cemeteries/?active_page=parishes The last line under policies: Photographs of any kind are not permitted. That is a big surprise! If the cemetery is not owned by the diocese, I would wager a priest could say it was private. Talking about Old St. Mary's are you?? Ann

I can only speak for myself and what was done in our family plot. This cemetery is outside the village of Canastota, Madison Co., NY. The plot for 10 was purchased in 1929, it accommodates 5 family members. There were only 2 headstones of the material that collects a black mold and etc. My husband and I purchased OUR headstone, and 3 others, and had the old stones (1915-16) cleaned. They turned out very well. We had gotten the caretaker, who also ran a nearby monument business, and he took care of all those phases, and it truly was not that expensive. Our stone of course was the more costly. If there was any permission gotten the caretaker did it. The old stones are of course starting to 'mold' again, something that cannot be prevented as the material is so porous. I would recommend contacting a local monument center to see what they might offer. As I said, I can only speak from my experience and in NY. Pat Jaquay

http://www.savinggraves.org/index.htm or this - there are several sites on the net. One thing I have learned: if you don't do anything to restore a grave or cemetery, most likely it will NEVER be done. And a broken stone fallen over a tilted base is no memorial that the dead deserve.

You all might want to check out this advice about working in cemeteries before doing anything! http://www.albrojournal.com/cemetery.htm#CemTop Gloria ----- Original Message ----- From: <Usaf1135@aol.com> To: <RIGENWEB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2006 9:16 AM Subject: Re: [RIGENWEB] Cemetery Stone Repair Class > I have only tried to clean stones that I have reset to remove most of any > dirt that may have accumulated from the soil it had lain on and that only, as > said by Stephanie, with plain water and a natural or nylon brush. An interesting > observation I have made on several stones is that the side of the stone which > has lain on the ground has only dirt residue easily washed off while the side > that was face up usually can't be cleaned due to the polluted rainfall. > I would say any privately owned cemetery that needs care would have to > provide the caregiver written assurance that the caregiver would not be liable > for any non-malicious damage. > Further, I would not use ANY solution to clean a stone except tap water. > The risk is just not worth having a "clean" stone. > > > ==== RIGENWEB Mailing List ==== > Washington County RIGenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~riwashin/ > Scans of Rhode Island Maps are at http://www.rootsweb.com/~rigenweb/maps/ >

Re: Elaine -- If one wants to work as a volunteer in an Historic Cemetery in Warwick they would contact the Historical Cemetery Commission which meets every first Tuesday at City Hall at Seven PM. Getting permission from a family member to restore a plot in most cases is a lifelong persuit. There is a huge stone in Brayton that has fallen into its suken grave many years ago -- it is a shame -- it is too heavy for volunteer work, although I have thought of it many times and obviouly the "family" is gone or negligent.

Why don't you all contact the people that are doing this and find out what they have done to get permission to do this. ----- Original Message ----- From: <Usaf1135@aol.com> To: <RIGENWEB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2006 9:09 AM Subject: Re: [RIGENWEB] Cemetery Stone Repair Class > Private Cemetery: only State declared "Historical Cemeteries" are covered > by > what I posted. Certainly any cemetery that is privately owned or > maintained by > a church or other organization is off limits to volunteer work. > > > ==== RIGENWEB Mailing List ==== > Washington County RIGenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~riwashin/ > Scans of Rhode Island Maps are at http://www.rootsweb.com/~rigenweb/maps/ > >

http://pages.cthome.net/hirsch/dodont.htm this website has advice about types of stone used in cemetery monuments and how to care for them. My immediate response to exterior stonework is to seal the pores with a clear weatherproof coating mixed with algaecide/mildecide to prevent growth of leachens which in time will expand the pores into cracks, then the winter ice will further crack the stones apart. .............................BUT I am apparently wrong on all considerations........... But this site says the stone has to breathe, so I guess it best to follow the advice of real experts, among whom are probably monument dealers and cutters. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lisa Lepore" <llepore@comcast.net> To: <RIGENWEB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2006 8:53 AM Subject: Re: Re:Re: [RIGENWEB] Cemetery Stone Repair Class > Hi Bill - > > I believe Bob Ryan is talking about the same situation - > a catholic parish cemetery that the particular parish cannot > afford to restore. > > If you want to repair a stone in such a cemetery, I'm sure you > will be allowed to hire a qualified monument company to repair > the stones. > > Call the church and ask how to proceed. I don't believe they > are saying it can't be done - they are just saying you have to > follow their rules. > > If a storm blew over all the stones, and the cemtery workers > righted them all, no one would complain. > > Following this logic, I don't think the church would need permission > from the owners of the stones that have fallen over to stand > them up again if the church decided to make repairs in the cemetery. > > The point here is that it is the church who owns these cemeteries > so it is the church who will have to give permission for any repairs > > If you and Bob are asking about restoring the entire cemetery, > it would seem to me that a meeting with the priest is in order. > > There might be parishioners and other interested > people in the community who would hopefully be willing to > improve the cemetery. [there are parishes who sponsor > boy scout troops that need projects....] If you could put > together such a group, the parish priest might be willing to > work with you. > > The best thing would be for someone who personally knows > the priest to talk to him about the situation with these cemeteries > and see what the feelings are about getting something done, so > you will know how to proceed. There's always some politics > involved..... > > In the end, it all comes down to money - an unused > historical cemetery is probably pretty low on their list of > priorities. > > Lisa

>>> What if a priest claims a cemetery to be private? Is there such a thing as a private cemetery? <<< Bob, In Massachusetts we have private, gated cemeteries. Joan

I have only tried to clean stones that I have reset to remove most of any dirt that may have accumulated from the soil it had lain on and that only, as said by Stephanie, with plain water and a natural or nylon brush. An interesting observation I have made on several stones is that the side of the stone which has lain on the ground has only dirt residue easily washed off while the side that was face up usually can't be cleaned due to the polluted rainfall. I would say any privately owned cemetery that needs care would have to provide the caregiver written assurance that the caregiver would not be liable for any non-malicious damage. Further, I would not use ANY solution to clean a stone except tap water. The risk is just not worth having a "clean" stone.

My family plot is in an old Catholic cemetery which dates back to the 1800's. I note many stones which have fallen over under their own weight due simply to age. The church which owns the cemetery has little, or no money to maintain the cemetery other than cutting the grass. I note that these fallen stones have dates going back into the last century; thus there are no 'families,' as you state, to get permission from. What would the procedure be in cases such as these to get these stones repaired? Thank you for any suggestions. Bill Waterhouse Mystic, CT -------------------------------------------------------------- I believe you would have to get permission from the family of the person(s) that are buried there as they own the graves and stones. ==== RIGENWEB Mailing List ==== The RI Archives http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ri/rifiles.htm RIGenWeb Archives Search http://www.rootsweb.com/usgenweb/ri/risearch.html

Private Cemetery: only State declared "Historical Cemeteries" are covered by what I posted. Certainly any cemetery that is privately owned or maintained by a church or other organization is off limits to volunteer work.

http://www.savinggraves.org/education/index.htm Many of the sites I've looked thru this morning say use an non ionic detergent cleaner such as NP40, Triton X-100, Tween 20 or Photo Flo which is made by Kodak. They say it is available in conservation, janitorial and photographic supply houses. When I go to the cemetery I bring plain water, a soft unused paint brush and some wooden or plastic spatulas. My object, like most everyone here, is to do no harm. I start from the bottom and work up to avoid streaking which can be just as bad as the stains. It's a time consuming process. I wouldn't attempt it if you don't have the time or an adequate water supply. Stefanie