10/24/2022
Interested in cleaning up a local cemetery and helping to preserve some of our town’s history? Here is one such example of a dedicated volunteer who looked to do just that and connect with their ancestors at the same time. Now is the perfect time of year for a cemetery cleanup and we have many in town that could use some fall cleaning.
From Alan Clarke, local cemetery expert and co-founder of the East Greenwich Historic Cemetery Commission:
Last October I received an email asking if it was okay to clean up a cemetery in Frenchtown:
“Hi, I visited a historic cemetery today that my family was buried in years and years ago. It was overgrown with weeds and looked discarded. Would it be permitted for me to clean the leaves and tree limbs? I would very much like to help restore this piece of history.”
Thank you, Liz Vaughn
Of course, it is always okay to clean up a cemetery. I answered that since this cemetery, EG-020, a Vaughn graveyard was next to the road, she had no access problems and could clean it up as much as she wanted. I went up to meet her and after I left, she got to work. A day or two later, she was joined by her sister Kerri and between the two of them they left the cemetery in fine condition. Liz took soil samples to see if there was any grass that could thrive under the conditions. They even cleaned all along the road and up the side of the cemetery walls. They even put a pumpkin on the stonewall, as it was Halloween. Before they were finished, brother Mark, the family genealogist showed up. I appeared there just in time to meet them all and take a picture. The sisters discussed going over with yet another sister to have a look at EG-055, the Robert Vaughn Lot, with possibly another set of relatives. The Vaughns were very well represented west of Route 2 in the early days.
It is a rare situation that someone willing to clean a cemetery would not be allowed and welcomed to do so. One exception is the big Pardon Mawney Lot, EG-060, located inside the fences at Camp Fogarty. Otherwise, the only restrictions would be owner-assured access if it doesn’t adjoin the road. It is always polite to knock on the door and tell the owner of the property what you would like to do and get their permission. The Cemetery Commission itself welcomes all the help we can get so if the cemetery is beside the road or you have permission to pass over private property, feel free to go in there and clean away. For safety’s sake, a message to the commission via Facebook or email ([email protected]) lets us know what’s going on. It also allows us to arrange leaf-bag pickups provided by the Town after you have all the bags out in front. Just a few rules that apply:
•Cleaning up leaves and debris comprises the bulk of the work needed. If conditions warrant, mowing and light trimming is all that should be done in addition to this. Continued cleaning and mowing might become a lawn and ultimately, that is preferable. Often natural ferns provide ground cover, and they also prevent growth of unwanted foliage so mowing should only be done on a case-by-case basis.
•Cutting mature trees down is not done. When trees become large and dangerous, paid professionals must perform the work. The Commission does not usually have funds for that purpose.
•Cutting small brush and saplings easily felled without damaging gravestones is fine. Trees are not good for cemetery gravestones. Naturally raking leaves and brush is fine.
•It is not recommended that anyone stand up, move or repair any gravestones. They are extremely heavy and can easily break bones if they fall on you. Repairing broken stones is becoming an art form and the Commission has people who can mend them if available.
•By some fluke in the system, all cleanup work you do is at your own risk. There is no insurance that covers volunteer workers in cemeteries.
