Cemetery Preservation Foundation

The following is intended to help support the understanding of methods and practices of preserving the resting place of our ancestors. For many these sites are of value for reasons from the historical understanding of our forbearers and the intersection of societal groupings to the objects of art or intangible heritage they contain. The value of preserving these sacred spaces allows us to understand our past and what we value as a society. Many sites and people do not know where to start in preserving the resources they manage or cherish especially as the integrity of their physical spaces becomes unstable as time passes. These pages are meant to give a foundation to discuss the challenges of preserving our ancestors’ resting places and give direction in formalizing an approach to maintaining or in many cases saving these sites.

Where to Start

Overview

An overview of the methods and practices of preserving a gravesite.

Ethics

When approaching any cemetery project, we need a basis for decision making.

Master Plan

A Master Plan is a road map that shows us where the cemetery is and where it is going.

Understanding the Cultural Landscape

Documentation

How to review and document a gravesite and markers on a micro and macro level

Landscapes and Vegetation

How to manage vegetation in a gravesite.

Safety

Encouraging the public to visit and explore public burial grounds and cemeteries increases awareness of the value of these sacred sites.

Understanding Materials

Materials and Monuments

Stone, brick, concrete, metal, and wood are the most common materials used for grave markers.

Fencing

Fences are an important contributing feature to the historic character and fabric of the landscape, yet their care is often overlooked.

Cleaning Grave Markers

Cleaning stones should be done with the gentlest means possible.

Masonry

Historic cemeteries can contain a variety of historic masonry features.

Moving Materials

When working in gravesites one of the major health and safety concerns is being able to stabilize monuments.

Limewash

Limewashes have long been used as surface finishes on buildings and other structures, on both the interior and the exterior.

Source Documents

I. Where to Start

• Stopping the Hands of Time: Nine Steps for Cemetery Preservation
• Mourning Glory: Preserving Historic Cemeteries
• Preservation Matters: Post-disaster Care of Cemeteries
• American Institute for Conservation's Code of Ethics
• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties

II. Understanding the Cultural Landscape

• Preservation Matters: Post-disaster Care of Cemeteries
• Mourning Glory: Preserving Historic Cemeteries
• Clippings: Replacing Trees
• GIS Tools for Cemetery Management
• NCPTT Cemetery Survey Form

III. Understanding Materials

• Preservation Matters: Post-disaster Care of Cemeteries
• Mourning Glory: Preserving Historic Cemeteries
• Recommendations for Government Issued Grave Markers
• Mortar, the Unsung Hero Of History