Gravesite Conservation

Building knowledge and capacity for Puerto Rico municipalities and preservation professionals.

As part of the Hurricane Maria federal governments disaster response DOI Natural and Cultural Resources Response Support Function (RSF), requested assistance related to post disaster stabilization of Puerto Rico’s gravesites. Those discussions resulted in a partnership between FEMA, the Department of Interior, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Park Service, Puerto Rico SHPO and Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. Initially the project team developed an online program (2021) discussing the theory and practice of preserving gravesites which led to the development of a housing of shared knowledge pages on the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) website.

In early 2022, as COVID travel restriction eased, an onsite program finally received the green light to proceed, and the workshop was offered to local municipalities employees and aligned preservation professionals. At the beginning of June NPS/NCPTT team arrived in Puerto Rico to host 3 workshops in San Juan, Manati and Ponce municipalities. These face-to-face workshops allowed participants to garner direct practical hands-on learning and reinforced the knowledge and techniques offered through the online course. Interestingly each site had differing concerns.

Cementerio Santa María Magdalena de Pazzi

In San Juan, Cementerio Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis, it was apparent that knowledge related to cleaning tombs with soft methods rather than harsh acidic approaches was in immediate need of addressing. It was obvious that the practice of utilizing bleach and muriatic acid was impacting the future stability of marble and cast monuments. Many people not understanding that simpler methods of cleaning can lead to the longevity of materials on a site. Harsher methods, while seemingly effective with immediate effects, ultimately can lead to material failure in the nearer term. It should be noted that harsh acid should not be used on these historic monuments and anyone who can share this knowledge should do so.

Cementerio Viejo de Manatí

In Manati, Cementerio Viejo de Manatí, cleaning again came to the be seen as a priority but related to the impact of use of modern vinyl or plastic paints. Removal of these paint products which actively form water barriers, stopping the natural evaporation cycles, as well as cleaning the mold formed from organic content of the paints was self-evidently a priority to develop better practices for the municipality. Simple methods of gentle removal of failing paint where shown which allowed the monuments surface to be prepared for the application of lime wash. We were able to introduce the local population to a local supplier of lime wash paint which is now available for purchase on the island. It should be noted that modern paints are not acceptable as a natural whitewash alternative on historic materials as they will cause more damage after their application. It is imperative that anyone who can should promote the use of natural lime washes over these destructive modern vinyl paints.

Cementerio Católico San Vicente de Paul

In Ponce, Cementerio Católico San Vicente de Paul, one of the major topics of conversation related to the failure of masonry monuments due to movement created by earthquake actions. While the workshop could not address some of these major structural issues NCPTT was able to present several techniques to stabilize and improve the integrity of these large structural masonry monuments. This included the simple act of finding pieces of broken marble plaques and placing them in more stable positions. Some of these plaques had become broken jigsaw puzzles and placing the pieces back together, in a more stable position, became an act to honor the memory of those departed. Another material introduced to the participants was lime mortars. We were able to purchase both lime putty and natural hydrated lime for the workshops and allowing us to showcase techniques for replicating joint and stucco repairs. This material is newly available on the island and can now be used to recover from and replace the use of hard modern cements which has become endemic since the introduction of modern cements in the early part of the 20th century. It is imperative that anyone who can, should advocate for the use of soft natural lime mortars over hard modern cement-based mortars.

The long-term effects of these workshops can only be understood as these conservation techniques are propagated to a wider audience. NCPTT was tasked by the RSF to document for future dissemination parts of the workshop. These include videos for how to remove invasive species of plants, safe applications of herbicides and demonstrations of the damage caused by Acid on stone and masonry.

We hope the major take aways from the program are the utilization of gentler methods of preservation such as using:

• Gentler cleaning approaches and products vs using harsh acids,
• Natural lime wash vs modern vinyl paints
• Soft lime mortars vs hard modern cements

In working with historic materials and sites, try to imagine what materials where originally used to produce the monuments and actively try to replicate those materials in your preservation work. While many of these simpler methods and applications require knowledge and skill to Implement, also potentially adding time and initial costs, the long-term impact of using these materials and methods is quantifiable by the longevity of materials preserved and maintained in the right ways. It is hoped in sharing this knowledge NCPTT helps support the preservations who are challenged with stabilizing their own historic sites round the country.

Special thanks to the DOI Natural and Cultural Resources Response Support Function (RSF), Puerto Rico SHPO and Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña for allowing this project to be developed.

Partners & Resources

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  Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery

  NCR RSF integrates Federal assets and capabilities to help address resource recovery needs after catastrophic incidents.

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  Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña

  The mission of the ICP is to research, conserve, promote and disseminate Puerto Rican culture in its diversity and complexity.

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  NCPTT

  The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training is the NPS's leading research, technology and training center.

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  National Endowment for the Arts

  An independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide.

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  State Office of Historic Preservation PR

  State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPO) play a critical role carrying out many responsibilities in historic preservation.

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  Cemetery Conservation

  These cemetery conservation resources have been developed to help people and communities care for cemeteries and grave markers.