Gravestone Conservation - Training and Workshops

Upcoming Workshops : Past Workshops

There are very few opportunities to gain knowledge and acquire training regarding gravestone and monument conservation. The workshops which are available may be located at a considerable distance away. This makes it cost prohibitive for most groups, and limits the attendance to one or maybe two members. Most workshops will overview a few basic technique, but may not include the specific answers needed to get started or effectively plan a preservation project in your town or cemetery.

I can come to your cemetery or graveyard and effectively quip, train and mobilize your staff or group of volunteers to perform basic preservation procedures. I will use your local burying ground, to demonstrate and perform treatments, for all of the most common gravestone and monument preservation dilemmas, including cleaning, resetting tilted stones and rejoining fractured tablet stones which are so common throughout many parts of America.

I encourage photographing, taping, or filming important steps and procedures to provide a reference for future training or review. More advanced skills and techniques can also be overviewed or instructed, if the need exists, and time allows.

In the process of training your local group we will actually be restoring your local cemetery. Each stone we fix will diminish the future number of gravestones or monuments remaining to be conserved.

If you are unable or not ready to actually begin the preservation procedures, we can survey the grounds and plan for your future preservation project. I also provide training to enable your local group to survey the markers and monuments and learn to perform a accurate individual stone assessment. This is of paramount importance due to the constant loss of inscription and degradation of many gravestones. A proper documentation form including a photograph will allow future generations to view a gravestone and understand its history even if the actual stone is destroyed.

For more information or to schedule a gravestone conservation workshop or training session, you can contact me by using our online contact form, by email, or call (860) 558-2785.

Upcoming Gravestone Conservation Workshops

The Association for Gravestone Studies Conference
Amherst, MA, June 18- June 22

AGS, Basic Gravestone Conservation Workshop
June 18 evening lecture, June 19 conservation workshop
at the historic West Cemetery in Amherst, MA
Please contact AGS directly,
http://www.gravestonestudies.org/conferences.htm

Gravestone Conservation Workshop in Hanover Cemetery
Hanover, PA, June 20, 2008

On June 9, The Hanover Cemetery in Hanover Twp. will celebrate it's 232 birthday. Founded on June 9, 1776 by Lazarus Stewart and the original proprietors of Hanover Twp, we feel it is an historical jem, both for Hanover Twp. and all of the area. Because of an historic preservation grant from The Luzerne Foundation and generous donations from M.J. Judge Monument Co. and St. Mary's Monument Co. the Hanover Cemetery will sponsor a workshop on historic gravestone conservation featuring Jonathan Appell, a renowned expert on gravestone restoration and conservation. Northeast Pa. weather has taken a toll on our historic markers; dating back to the 1770's and 1800's; and we have decided to do what ever we can to prevent further deterioration and to repair and preserve as best we can these historic markers for future generations. It is also our desire to help others to preserve our history, therefore our workshop will be open at no charge to any other cemetery or any group or individual who would like to attend . We are scheduled for a one day workshop on June 28, 2008, but if we get enough interest and more sponsors and donations, we would like to expand it to a 2 day event.

Anyone wishing to attend should contact me, Bob Keiser, at 709-5801. If you wish to donate or be a sponsor, call me or mail your donations to Hanover Cemetery, 689 Main Road, Hanover Twp., Pa. 18706. For information on what will be covered during the workshop, you can go to Mr. Appell's website at www.gravestoneconservation.com. This education will be priceless to anyone wanting to preserve our past.

Gravestone Conservation Workshop in North Cemetery
Portsmouth, NH July 12, 2008

The Portsmouth New Hampshire Blue Ribbon Cemetery Committee cordially invites you to attend a Gravestone Restoration Workshop to be held in the historic North Cemetery in Portsmouth New Hampshire. This workshop will cover a number of restoration techniques by professional gravestone conservator and monument mason Jonathan Appell. These include the proper techniques for cleaning gravestones, resetting monuments, break repairs and conservation of early gravestones.

Date: July 12, 2008
Time: 9:00am – 4:30pm
Location: North Cemetery, Maplewood Avenue, Portsmouth, NH (across from the Old Portsmouth Herald building)

RSVP: please let us know if you are plan on attending by visiting http://www.portsmoutholdgraves.org/rsvp and completing the RSVP form or contact Judy Nerbonne at (603) 436-8439.

There will be no charge for attending this workshop but a $10 per person donation would be appreciated. In case of inclement weather, a rain date will be determined and displayed on our website at http://www.portsmoutholdgraves.org or you can contact Judy Nerbonne at (603) 436-8439. You can also email info@portsmoutholdgraves.org for more information. Please bring your own lunch or be prepared to purchase one from a number of local eateries. Bring your own chairs for outdoor seating.

12th Annual International Preservation Trades Workshop (IPTW) 2008
Barre, Vt., July 18-20

Learn how to repair damaged gravestones using traditional techniques. Get a better understanding of what you should do to clean stone elements in cemeteries. Understand how to lift and reset grave markers safely and correctly. See more information at http://www.iptw.org/iptw08-schedule.htm

Basic Gravestone Restoration Workshop
Date/Time: Thursday, August 16, 2008, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Castine Cemetery, off Court Street, Castine, ME

Gravestones are a rock-solid connection with the people of our past. Some of these stones, however, are showing the ravages of time and need help. The Wilson Museum, in conjunction with the Castine Cemetery Association, will host a Basic Gravestone Restoration Workshop with Jonathan Appell on Saturday, August 16, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Castine Cemetery off Court Street. This is a free workshop and attendees are invited to participate in the resetting of a sunken and/or badly leaning stone, cleaning a stone, and rejoining a broken gravestone.

As a result of this workshop, the gravestones of the Robert Perkins family will be repaired and straightened. Robert Perkins was the son of John and Phebe Perkins of Castine. John was the original builder of the Wilson Museum 's John Perkins House. Robert and his wife Miriam started a home on Perkins Street which is now the administrative offices of the Museum.

Jonathan Appell, who refers to himself as a “Monumental Mason,” is an independent gravestone conservator from Connecticut working throughout the United States performing gravestone conservation training workshops and cemetery preservation projects.

For more information Contact: Wilson Museum, Debbie Morehouse 326-9247, e-mail: staff@wilsonmuseum.org

Cemetery Preservation and Conservation Workshop
Date/Time: Saturday, October 11, 9:00am - 4pm
Location: Elizabethtown, NJ

The Adirondack History Center Museum (AHCM)/ Essex County Historical Society, and Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), will present a cemetery preservation and
conservation workshop led by Jon Appell, of New England Cemetery Services, West Hartford, Connecticut. The day will include a presentation followed by a hands-on demonstration, during which participants will work on gravestones in a local cemetery.
Learn about the origins of gravestone carving in America; various stone types and styles; and the progression of repair techniques from the 1900s to the present. We will also learn basic stone repair techniques and how to properly clean gravestones.

The workshop begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. The cost of the workshop is $40 for AARCH, AHCM, and Essex County Historical Society members, and $45 for non-members. For more information or to make reservations, call AARCH at: (518) 834-9328. See flyer

Past Gravestone Conservation Workshops

2008

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies
Preservation of Gravestones & Cemetery Monuments
Mount Carroll, Illinois, May 19-21, 2008

This will be a “hands-on” three day course conducted primarily outdoors at a local cemetery in the Mount Carroll area. The graveyard will be employed as an open air museum to illustrate and explain the numerous factors which contribute to the decay and degradation of funerary markers including vandalism, weathering & acid rain, soil erosion and neglect.

The primary goal of the workshop is to educate the attendees in all of the basic gravestone conservation procedures and techniques.

Based on the educational goal of the workshop the emphasis will be placed on a slow working pace, describing all the actions as the treatments are conducted. The gravestones and cemetery monuments which are conserved will represent common preservation techniques, based on various conditions which are most often found in historic burying grounds.

All of the attendees will learn how to perform the basic re-setting of a tablet-stone, which may be in a badly leaning, and or sunken condition.

All of the attendees will also learn how to join broken gravestone fragments together, employing stone epoxy, and will learn to raise and re-set a fallen gravestone onto a newly constructed cast socket base.

We will also discuss and demonstrate the materials required, and the process involved in replacing eroded or lost stone with the use of a composite stone infill material.

The process and potential need for consolidation of weak and decayed gravestones will be explained.

Gravestone cleaning is not something that should be indiscriminately performed, as some gravestones are too weak or fragile and may be harmed. Therefore, the philosophy of cleaning will be discussed; various safe cleaning techniques will be demonstrated including the process of employing a poultice to remove deeply seated staining and soluble salts.

2007

Lynnfield, Massachusetts: Basic Gravestone Conservation Workshop

In May of 2007, Jonathan Appell performed a basic gravestone conservation workshop.

The workshop included the instruction and participation of a group of local volunteers who helped to raise, clean and re-set a number of leaning and badly stained gravestones.

Survey and preservation plans were also performed in conjunction with the complete conservation of 3 highly damaged and fractured 18 th century slate gravestones. The historically significant slate gravestones were joined together with stone epoxy, in-filled with Jahn's M160 hard stone mortar, re-set, and cleaned.

Saunderstown, Rhode Island: Casey Farm Preservation Trade Workshop
June 2- June 3, 2007:

Two basic gravestone conservation workshops were conducted at the historic Casey Farm Burying Ground in conjunction with the Preservation Trades Network. A couple of slate gravestones were conserved during the course of the workshops in addition to a discussion regarding the evolution of gravestone preservation.

Nashua, New Hampshire: The Association for Gravestone Studies Workshop

In June of 2007 Jonathan was a group leader at the basic gravestone conservation workshop held as part of the AGS yearly conference. During the workshop a group of 4 students learned and helped to conserve 2 memorials which were in need of preservation measures. A small monument was completely conserved including: Raise and re-level the lower base, clean mating surfaces and bond together the two bases and headstone element, clean the entire of

Nashua, New Hampshire: The Association for Gravestone Studies Conference Lecture:

At the conference which was associated with the workshop, Jonathan also presented a power point lecture, regarding the process of gravestone and cemetery monument preservation. The presentation was well attended and very well received by the attendees present.

Hoke County, North Carolina: Mill Prong House Scottish Annual Gathering
Summer of 2007:

In conjunction with a comprehensive cemetery preservation project, Jonathan spoke at a large annual gathering at the Mill Prong House, which is the oldest Scottish settlement in the region. The lecture overviewed the highly successful gravestone conservation project which had just been completed.

Fortunately non of the large and often dangerous snakes which are well know to this in the area, did not stop by to assist in the gravestone conservation work which was performed at the historic 19 th century burying ground.

Greensboro, North Carolina: The Old First Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Summer of 2007:

This was the second year that Jonathan worked with, and trained local staff who are engaged in performing an extensive restoration project on the entire historic graveyard. During the full week which Jonathan worked in Greensboro 5 large problem monuments were conserved. Due to the walled location which contains extensive trees and plantings it is very difficult to reach the monuments with machinery in order to raise and re-level them. Therefore Jonathan's system of excavating, concrete footings, and jacking up the monuments was employed in conjunction with assorted other advanced monument re-setting and preservation techniques.

Frederick, Maryland: International Preservation Trades Workshops
October 11- October 13, 2007:

Jonathan led a basic gravestone conservation workshop, which was conducted in Frederick Maryland in conjunction with the Preservation Trades Network's yearly conference.

The workshop over viewed the topic of gravestone and cemetery monument degradation, which then lead into the historical evolution of gravestone preservation. A group of attendees then helped to clean and conserve a few gravestones which were badly in need of conservation treatments.

Additionally, Jonathan participated in a round table discussion regarding the entire field of cemetery preservation which was held at the main conference venue.

2006

Cheyenne, Wyoming : Lakeview Cemetery
Three day intensive gravestone and monument conservation workshop attended by Individuals from Colorado , Nebraska , and Wyoming . Individualized conservation training to the City of Cheyenne employees,while working together on conserving monument of great local importance.

The Old First Presbyterian Church Cemetery : Greensboro, North Carolina
One week long work training project, including consultation and preservation planning, regarding the complete cemetery preservation project now underway.

Plainfield, Massachusetts
One day long, basic gravestone and monument cleaning, and conservation workshop.

Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Association for Gravestone Studies Workshop: group leader.

2005:

Pine Island Cemetery : Norwalk, CT
Basic gravestone cleaning and conservation workshop.

2004:

High Street Cemetery: Danvers, Massachusetts Ma.
Gravestone cleaning and overview of basic conservation procedures.

Congressional Cemetery: Washington, DC
Gravestone conservation, monument resetting.

Danbury, Ct
The Association for Gravestone Studies: Gravestone Conservation Workshop, Group leader; assisted Fred Oakley with workshop planning.

2003:

Old Burying Ground: Hampden, Massachusetts Ma
Basic Gravestone conservation, monument resetting workshop.