[MassHistPres] Gravestone conservation/replication

[John Stephens]

The Grafton Historical Commission is currently working on 
a project funded with a Community Preservation grant to 
reproduce two historic slate headstones in the town's 
original burying ground. The layers of the slate are 
beginning to separate and we fear that the rare 
double-portrait stone carved by James New will be lost if 
we don't act quickly.

Initial contact has been make with MHC regarding the 
process (state approval is required before removing the 
original headstones), but we are finding the costs to 
replicate the stones are quite expensive (as much as 
$10,000 for the more ornate headstone). The original 
stones will be displayed (and protected from the elements) 
in the Historical Society Museum in the former Town Hall.

I will contact the sources listed in the previous posting, 
but would appreciate additional references and advice from 
others involved with a similar project.

John Stephens
Grafton Historical Commission

On Sat, 05 Jan 2008 12:00:03 -0500
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>   1. broken gravestones (MONA1927 at aol.com)
>   2. Re: broken gravestones (pwindt at comcast.net)
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 15:49:55 EST
>From: MONA1927 at aol.com
> Subject: [MassHistPres] broken gravestones
> To: MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
> Message-ID: <bdc.20e4932f.34aff5f3 at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> 
> In East Bridgewater we have a problem with an automobile 
>accident smashing 
> old gravestones in our
> very old cemetery. We have presented an estimate for 
>replacement to an 
> insurance company and
> they are fighting the cost. These stones date to the 
>1700's and were slate. 
> We requested that they
> be duplicated in granite because of the disintigration 
>slate is apt to have. 
> We have also requested that the epitaphs, and all be 
>duplicated. We found a 
> monument company that will do this for us.
> The cemetery is in the National Historic District of the 
>town. Has anyone had 
> a problem such as this.
> What is our legal right to do this.   Margaret 
>Alexander, East Bridgewater 
> Historical Commission.
> 
> 
> **************

> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2008 02:30:23 +0000
>From: pwindt at comcast.net
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] broken gravestones
> To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu (masshistpres), 
>MONA1927 at aol.com
> Message-ID:
> 	<010520080230.18345.477EEBBF0001274E000047A922058864429B0B0207999F at comcast.net>
> 	
> 
> Margaret,
> 
> Has the Commission checked with restoration 
>professionals regarding saving the old stones? 
> 
> There are some excellent craftspeople available that do 
>that type of work. PreservationMass < 
>http://www.preservationmass.org > has a consultant 
>directory listing that can help you. A Google search can 
>help, too. Look for 'gravestone conservation'. The folks 
>at 
> 
>Fannin-Lehner Preservation Consultants
> Contact: Minxie J. Fannin, Managing Principal
> 271 Lexington Road
> Concord, MA 01742 -3722
> Phone:   978-369-6703
>Fax:       978-371-9883 
> 
> did a nice job documenting and repairing slate stones in 
>Chelmsford's Forefather's Burial Ground a few years ago. 
> 
> It would be a shame to lose old slate work if it is 
>possible to save it. And, maybe, the insurance company 
>would agree to the repairs, too.
> 
> Good Luck.
> Paul Windt
> "Old Chelmsford" Garrison House
> Chelmsford, MA
> 
> -------------- Original message ----------------------
>From: MONA1927 at aol.com
>> In East Bridgewater we have a problem with an automobile 
>>accident smashing 
>> old gravestones in our
>> very old cemetery. We have presented an estimate for 
>>replacement to an 
>> insurance company and
>> they are fighting the cost. These stones date to the 
>>1700's and were slate. 
>> We requested that they
>> be duplicated in granite because of the disintigration 
>>slate is apt to have. 
>> We have also requested that the epitaphs, and all be 
>>duplicated. We found a 
>> monument company that will do this for us.
>> The cemetery is in the National Historic District of the 
>>town. Has anyone had 
>> a problem such as this.
>> What is our legal right to do this.   Margaret 
>>Alexander, East Bridgewater 
>> Historical Commission.