Gravestone Projects
Grave and headstones are part of our history, a connection to the past that should be maintained and respected. As time has gone by, many cemetery gravestones and markers are in disrepair or have been vandalized. There are many organizations that have stepped up, creating projects to restore and record gravestones in an effort to preserve the past, and to treat the final resting places of people who have died with the dignity they deserve.
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Stone Angels Project, Lincoln, Nebraska
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The Stone Angels Project is a volunteer group out of Lincoln, Nebraska. It is a project funded completely by private donations, dedicated to the restoration of gravestones, one at a time. The goal of the Stone Angels Project is to provide training in stone restoration for people who would like to assist their community by restoring the stones and markers in small rural cemeteries, who often do not have the funding to provide the necessary repairs and restorations. In addition, the Stone Angels Project seeks to educate the public in the need for fund-raising efforts to finance similar projects in other parts of the country. The organization is seeking nonprofit status while looking for corporate sponsors and backers.
Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites
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The Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites, is a nonprofit group of volunteers formed in 1991. Believing the burial of a human being commands respect and dignity, the group's goal is the protection of the gravestones and markers from damage by man or by nature. The coalition includes historians, genealogists, archaeologists, cultural preservationists, Native Americans, legislative members, and Maryland volunteers who care about their ancestry. The Coalition not only maintains and restores the gravestones and markers, but takes an active part in the prosecution of vandals, encouraging that the vandal be punished to the fullest extent of the law to create an example for other vandals.
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Project Homecoming of Tioga County, Owego, New York
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Evergreen Cemetery in Owego, New York, is a historic Civil War cemetery, the final resting place of hundreds of soldiers from that war. Over the years the gravestones have fallen into disrepair or have been vandalized; many were stolen altogether. The Homecoming Project is led by a group of veterans, financed by donations, who went in and refurbished the cemetery and restored the disheveled markers and stones. They are also working on re-landscaping the cemetery and installing water lines to maintain the green atmosphere. The veterans feel they are caring for fallen brothers and would like to be able to see these efforts repeated in other Civil War-era cemeteries that are in the same condition all over the United States.
Gravestone Conservation Project at Historic Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
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Even the Historic Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., is not immune to falling into disrepair or being vandalized. A group of volunteers calling themselves the Association for the Preservation of the Historic Congressional Cemetery has undertaken the restoration of several hundred gravestones and markers at the historic cemetery. Their mission is to serve the community by conserving the physical artifacts and buildings, and managing the cemetery grounds as an accessible community resource.
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References
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