Chicora Foundation Cemetery Preservation

11/15/2014

We know that some folks prefer to just spray on D/2 without either much before or after work. We don't feel that's the best approach and this photo shows why. We found some granite coping in a cemetery covered with lichen. We sprayed D/2, full strength, on a few, but did nothing else. You can see lichen untouched to the right as a control.

The D/2 did a quick job on the lichen, turning them brilliant colors within 2 hours and after 24 hours the lichen were clearly dead. But they were still there and quite attached to the granite. Also notice the discoloration extending from lichen about 1/8" in all directions.

Thus, the D/2 does a great job killing biologicals, but killing isn't the same as removing. It's supposed to rain in the next couple of days and we'll post again on how effective the rain was in removing the dead lichen and associated stain.

11/09/2014

We're often asked if a stone can be repaired and our usual answer is that most can be, although the cost may be tough on the wallet. This is a marble stone that was vandalized. To make matters worse, the plot, years ago, had concrete applied - I'm sure to "minimize maintenance." The problem is that the hard surface shattered the stone, creating nine separate fragments. Piecing everything back together has been nearly a week-long effort and we still aren't at the stage of adding infill and trying to make the final result aesthetically pleasing. But the point is not to give up on a stone.

10/14/2014

Iron jacking or rust jacking - whatever you call it - is a huge threat to cemetery monuments, as this photo reveals. You see a die originally set on two bases that has been disassembled to deal with the problem of ferrous pins. Those between the die (shown at the top of the photo) and the middle base (shown at the bottom of the photo) completely deteriorated - but not before cracking and breaking the die. Additional cracks are found in both of the bases.

Some interesting information - corrosion products take up between 5 and 10 times the volume of the original ferrous pin - creating more than enough force to exceed the tensile strength of the marble.

For this problem to occur all you need is water and air. In addition, once corrosion begins, the porous surface that forms acts like a reservoir - holding water and creating more corrosion. In addition, the practice of using molten sulfur (brimstone) creates an even stronger reaction to destroy ferrous pins.

That's why their replacement is such a high priority in cemetery conservation!

09/26/2014

Every day we seem to learn more about environmental interactions. Just recently I read about a study from the University of Southampton and Surrey that found green spaces can be damaging to historic buildings - and by extension, to cemeteries.

Organic chemicals from trees, especially sycamores and Douglas firs, mix with air pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen, causing elevated ozone levels. These, in turn, increase the erosion of building materials such as limestone, marble, concrete, and even steel. For more information see, http://www.southampton.ac.uk/mediacentre/news/2014/jun/14_116.shtml.

Not suggesting we cut down all of the trees in our cemeteries, but this can help explain some of the damage we see in areas that don't seem to otherwise be very polluted.

Green spaces in towns and cities need extra consideration as they may be damaging buildings in the area, according to new research from the Universities of Southampton and Surrey.

09/20/2014

Daily there seem to be newspaper accounts of cemetery vandalism. Recently 70 markers were damaged in an Iowa cemetery (http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2014/09/18/oelwein-cemetery-vandalism/15826561/). In another case, 10 and 11 year old girls vandalized a dozen monuments in a Minnesota cemetery (http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/26510753/girls-ages-10-and-11-confess-to-faribault-cemetery-vandalism).

What makes these accounts interesting doesn't have anything to do with these specific acts. Instead, it is that a municipality we're currently working with wants us to remove our assessment section dealing with vandalism. Too many seem to have the ostrich mentality - if we don't see it, if we don't talk about it, then it doesn't exist.

The problem is that it does exist and it must be confronted. Take a look at this City of Boise website that directly confronts vandalism - it should be model for every city around the country. Vandalism is immediately repaired, families are notified, rewards are offered (http://parks.cityofboise.org/parks-locations/cemeteries/cemetery-vandalism-a-senseless-crime/). I hope you encourage your local cemetery caregivers to adopt a similar approach!

Nearly 40 gravestones were cracked or broken at the Oakdale Cemetery.

08/02/2014

You can read more about the Farmer's Valley Cemetery in this newspaper article at http://www.theindependent.com/news/local/farmers-valley-cemetery-headstones-repaired-put-back-in-place/article_9b381616-13b6-11e4-b06d-0019bb2963f4.html

HENDERSON — In the corner of the rural Farmers’ Valley Cemetery, Debi Hacker and Michael Trinkley leaned over a broken headstone and focused.

07/06/2014

Look at the WLTX story on our cemetery identification efforts!
http://www.wltx.com/story/news/local/2014/07/02/cemeteries-in-richland-county/12109423/

Group aims to protect burial sites around Richland County

07/06/2014

We are very close to completing our survey of Richland County, SC cemeteries. We have identified 503 cemeteries, plus an additional 41 for which we were able to determine the cemetery's existence, but we weren't able to get a specific location. All we are waiting on is for Fort Jackson to allow us access to 16 cemeteries on the base - but we've been waiting for this since February.

See the video of our work from WLTX TV here in Columbia, SC

04/14/2014

Just returned from the NCPTT Cemetery Summit in Niagara Falls, NY. Great conference; the best parts were those presentations dealing with materials conservation, although there were great talks on the loss of cemeteries in Louisiana resulting from sea level increases and subsidence, as well as the need for incorporating more planning activities in cemetery preservation. Over the next few days I'll post some of the cemetery photos showing problems at area cemeteries - proving once again that issues are similar across the county!

02/16/2014

Soapbox time.

On another site I've been listening to an individual who calls themselves a conservator/restorer asking the most basic questions - revealing that the individual has no conservation training or experience whatsoever. This person is promoting themselves as a professional and soliciting jobs from small town governments.

Before getting involved with anyone calling themselves a conservator check credentials, check training, and check the person. You can call yourself just about anything today, but that doesn't mean you know anything at all about the profession.

OK, off the soapbox.