Do no harm was the most important message Fredericksburg
genealogy club member Kris Jankovits learned from her experience at “The
Cemetery Restoration and Preservation Workshop,” held 20 October 2012 at the
Wood Cemetery located on the Bob Evans farm in Raccoon Township, Gallia County,
Ohio.
Utilizing PowerPoint with inserted video clips of workshop
leader John “Walt” Walters of the Graveyard Groomer. Kris shared
important information for anyone interested in restoring tombstones.
Before you begin:
Research the state’s cemetery laws;
Determine ownership of the cemetery. Contact
owners/association for written permission
to clean or restore stones, as well as their rules and regulations;
Document the grave; photos of stone, cemetery entrance, any
signage, notes on location of stone;
Determine marker composition – is it fieldstone, slate,
sandstone, limestone, granite, marble or a combination.
Cleaning stones:
Use soft bristle brush only;
Soft rags
Clean water (can use distilled)
Non-ionic detergent (Orvus soap)
Biocide solution (quaternary ammoniums are available at
swimming pool suppliers)
Ammonia and water (1 part clear ammonia to 4 parts water in
a spray bottle)
Calcium hypochlorite (Chlorine HTH, Shock Treatment) one
ounce to one gallon hot water.
Important: Do no
harm; if you are not sure, leave it alone!
Some good Resources:
Strangstad, Lynette, A
Graveyard Preservation Primer
Association for Gravestone Studies, Greenfield, MA
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