When it comes to maintaining cemeteries, we’re used to seeing landscape crews out with mower and weed eaters, making sure the grounds are manicured and neat for visitors and other passersby.
But just as important – maybe more so, says Hilary Verville of Verville Preservation in Oxford, is a bucket of water and a soft-bristle brush. You see, she and husband Michael have their eyes on cemeteries’ stone monuments and headstones.
Often, family members are the ones left to tend smaller family plots, Verville said on Thursday’s Around Old Granville segment of TownTalk.
“We love going into the family plots,” she said. And when they get calls from folks about what to do to clean or repair headstones, they’re happy to help.
“Documentation is absolutely the best first step,” she said – take photos of the stone in question, which will help position the stone properly if it has to be removed for repair.
There’s no replacement for proper maintenance when it comes to keeping headstones in good repair. She encourages individuals to become “citizen preservationists” in the fight to keep headstones and monuments in good repair.
“The best thing you can do is to keep it clean with water,” Virville said. “No chemicals, no soap – water and a soft-bristle brush” is the ticket to keep moss, lichens and bird poop from causing damage over time.
“You give it a good scrub. Don’t get super aggressive with it,” she continued. It’s kind of like brushing your teeth.”
And, she said, “never, ever, ever” use bleach or other abrasive cleaner. You WILL damage the stone. It may look nice in the short-term, but you’ll create pitting that will weaken the stone over time.
And if you need assistance, Verville said, “call us – we’re going to help you do it the right way.”
The Vervilles will come out and assess the site and the headstone or monument before coming up with a repair plan and next steps.
Verville Preservation is conducting a workshop at Oakwood Cemetery in Louisburg on Saturday, Apr. 13 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for anyone interested in learning from the pros.
Register for the workshop at https://www.louisburghistoricdistrict.com/
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