Resurrecting Historical Burial Grounds: Interpreting &
Preserving NJ’s Historical Cemeteries
Instructors: Richard Veit and Mark Nonestied
Cemetery Preservation Consultants
October 27, 2012
Long Valley Union Churchyard, Washington Township, NJ
This day-long workshop provides an introduction to the care and restoration of historic burial
grounds. Participants will learn how to safely reset a leaning marker, create a new base for a
grave marker, and appropriately clean historic grave markers. The focus is on simple, minimally
invasive techniques advocated by the Association for Gravestone Studies. Suggestions regarding
cemetery maintenance will also be made. Participants will work in small teams and should be
able to work outdoors. A resource packet will also be provided for students.
9:00 - Introductions
9:30 – 10:45 – Interpreting New Jersey’s Historic Burial Grounds
Interpreting New Jersey’s Historic Burial Grounds is a presentation about the cultural history of
New Jersey’s historic cemeteries. It begins in the 17th century and concludes at the dawn of the
21st century. The presentation provides an understanding of the state’s historic burial places and
the gravemarkers they contain. A sampling of topics include the types of burial grounds and their
designs, the sweeping changes of 19th century burial reform and its impact on the New Jersey
cemetery landscape, Victorian Valhalla’s and the markers and monuments they contain, cultural
traditions, cremation history, the memorial park movement and modern marvels. The
presentation is meant to provide a solid understanding of the diverse gravemarkers and
cemeteries found in New Jersey.
10:45 – 11:00 – Break
11:00 – 12:00 – Resurrecting Historic Burial Grounds: An Introduction to Cemetery Preservation
Resurrecting Historic Burial Grounds: An Introduction to Cemetery Preservation is a
presentation about conservation practices as they relate to gravemarkers and historic cemeteries.
The illustrated lecture discusses preservation ethics, planning, documentation, identifying stone
material, cataloguing techniques, and mapping. The presentation also offers common
preservation problems and their solutions. We
12:00 – 12:45 – Lunch
1:00 – 4:00 – Tour/Hands On Exercises in the Long Valley Union Churchyard
A tour of the Long Valley Union Churchyard will take place immediately following lunch.
Students will identify stone material, cemetery type, symbolism and other subjects discussed
during the classroom sessions.
Students will break into groups and put to practice methods discussed during the lectures.
Activities will include hands-on documentation of the burial ground, cleaning gravemarkers and
resetting stones. We will also discuss advanced conservation practice or when to call in a
professional and “perpetual care” or how to keep your historic cemetery looking good into the
future.
Suggested Readings:
Strangstad, Lynette
1988 A Graveyard Preservation Primer. American Association for State and Local
History, Nashville, Tennessee.
Veit, Richard, and Mark Nonestied
2008 New Jersey Cemeteries and Tombstones: History in the Landscape. Rutgers
University Press, New Brunswick.