News Release

Stones River National Battlefield Hosts Cemetery Preservation Workshop at Historic Lytle Cemetery

NPS Photo

News Release Date: April 27, 2026

Contact: Benjamin Hayes, 615-893-9501

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Stones River National Battlefield, in partnership with the Middle Tennessee State University Center for Historic Preservation and the Sons of the American Revolution (Stones River Chapter), recently completed a three-day cemetery preservation workshop at the historic Lytle Cemetery in Murfreesboro.

Funded by the National Park Service, the workshop provided hands-on training in historic preservation techniques, masonry cleaning and repair. Professional gravestone conservator Joni Morris led the workshop through the Campaign for Historic Trades. Participants included members of the Sons of the American Revolution, Stones River National Cemetery staff, Middle Tennessee State University students, and staff from Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department.

Participants applied their skills at Lytle Cemetery, helping stabilize and preserve nine historic grave markers damaged by vandalism last summer. Lytle Cemetery is the final resting place of Captain William Lytle, a Revolutionary War veteran and founder of Murfreesboro, along with generations of his family. The site holds deep significance to the community and Tennessee.

This workshop is the first in a series of community-based cemetery preservation trainings that Stones River National Battlefield plans to lead. Through efforts like this, the NPS and its partners continue to preserve shared heritage while strengthening community stewardship.
 

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