INTRODUCTION
SAVE A HISTORIC CEMETERY
BECOME AN RIP GUARDIAN
CEMETERY PRESERVATION PROGRAM
Texas Historical Commission
512-463-6063
OVERVIEW
Cemeteries are important keys to Texas’ past. They are visual and tangible reminders of settlement patterns
and reveal information about historic events, religion, lifestyles and genealogy. Cemetery traditions and
customs vary across the state and each one contains a distinct story of our collective history. Unfortunately,
many historic cemeteries are subject to long-term deterioration from cultural and natural forces which
threaten these historic resources.
The letters RIP are commonly found carved on gravestones, bidding the deceased an earthly wish for eternal
rest in peace. RIP is also one of the Texas Historical Commission’s (THC) cemetery preservation initiatives:
Record, Investigate, Protect. The RIP Guardian program provides technical assistance and education to local
volunteers and empowers them with proper cemetery restoration and preservation techniques they can share
with others.
Neglect of our historic cemeteries leaves them endangered. Cultural neglect is the product of vandalism,
encroachment, development and sometimes even removal of markers to use the site for other purposes. Each
of these four elements erodes the lifespan of a cemetery and inflicts damage. Another form of neglect is
natural. Without some form of sensitive maintenance a cemetery can become the victim of overgrown
vegetation and natural deterioration of a variety of types of gravemarkers and other features. Both cultural
and natural neglect can permanently damage our nonrenewable historic resources.
RIP Guardians fight neglect by building awareness and support for historic cemeteries. Successful groups are
diverse and broad based. Volunteer groups and associations, civic leaders/organizations, business owners, families,
individuals, and local elected officials should be included for a united and effective group effort. Only sites
designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery or determined by the THC to qualify as an eligible property under the
criteria for designation are eligible to be adopted by local RIP Guardian volunteers.
Cemeteries across Texas are as diverse as its heritage. Large or small, with manufactured or hand-crafted
gravemarkers, each cemetery has a story to be recorded and preserved. RIP Guardians help save cemeteries
and their stories for future generations. Local RIP Guardians have the opportunity to participate in the
preservation of Texas in a unique way and to directly enhance the power of preservation planning efforts in
their communities.
HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Successful RIP Guardian groups, whether large or small, include many different types of volunteers, each
contributing to the focused group effort through individual experiences, interests, perspectives and talents.
Local groups follow the program’s guidelines and standards, which call for work on a minimum of two RIP
Guardian measures each year, recorded during each reporting period in the spring and fall. The RIP Guardian
Kit contains material to assist participating programs with each of the measures below.
RIP GUARDIAN BENCHMARKS
 Research. The discovery and interpretation of facts about the cemetery is important. This research is a
critical first step in preservation, both as part of, and as an ongoing process and necessary means for
achieving the Historic Texas Cemetery designation. Research tasks should be shared, and asking for
assistance can be an effective way to recruit volunteers. See Rescuing a Neglected Cemetery on the THC web
site for more information about researching a historic cemetery.
 Plan. A master plan is a tool to help establish goals, prioritize activities, estimate costs and develop an annual
maintenance schedule. It is an important working document that directs future preservation of the cemetery.
 Survey. A cemetery survey is an inventory of the resource that guides future planning. It must be detailed
and accurate, and include identification of the various features, the collection of data and documentation
through measuring, mapping and photography. See Rescuing a Neglected Cemetery for more information
about surveying a historic cemetery.
 Secure. A chain link or barbed/woven wire fence with a gate can provide adequate protection from
grazing animals and define the boundaries of the cemetery. A fence might already be in place, but it is
critical to determine that it is marking the correct boundaries and encompassing all marked and
unmarked graves. Post a sign near the entrance with the name of the cemetery, cemetery association and
a contact phone number.
 Maintain. RIP Guardians schedule a volunteer-based cleaning event and invite surrounding landowners,
community members and even local law enforcement officials to participate. Volunteers must abide by
the Texas Preservation Guidelines for Preserving Historic Cemeteries and the Standards for Preservation
of Historic Cemeteries and use sensitive maintenance techniques.
 Organize. Develop an association or organization. Groups that are governed by a board and follow
recognized bylaws show they are committed and are therefore more attractive to granting entities. A
recognized cemetery association provides long-term preservation benefits for the cemetery. Resources
and samples are available in the RIP Guardian Kit.
 Fund. Local sources of support are the best way to create stability for a historic cemetery by building
long-term community investment. Once you have prioritized your projects, think creatively about how to
finance them.
 Communicate. Talk about cemetery preservation with family and friends and get service groups and
other members of the community involved in the effort. Offer to give presentations to organizations, to
submit articles and editorials to your newspaper, and to send press releases about activities and
achievements to radio and television stations.
 Educate. Encourage protection of historic cemeteries and heighten awareness of their significance
through preservation education. Mentor future cemetery preservationists through local youth
organizations such as the National Honor Society or the Junior Historian programs. Promote community
culture and heritage through cleaning events and special programs.
 Conserve. Historic cemeteries are most threatened by indifference. Circumstances can change quickly ―
a cemetery considered maintained and safe can quickly become neglected and endangered. By learning
and applying appropriate cleaning techniques and practicing sensitive maintenance, RIP Guardians have
the opportunity to reverse indifference in their community.
These measures help build awareness about the importance of cemeteries and your RIP Guardian group’s
efforts. Each measure accomplished moves an overall cemetery preservation project from an initiative to a
long-term positive impact on a precious historic resource.
RIP GUARDIAN REPORTING AND APPRECIATION
By participating in the RIP Guardian program, volunteers have the opportunity to share information about
cemetery preservation triumphs and challenges, help shape statewide training events and be recognized for
contributions toward preserving their local history.
Information about local RIP Guardian efforts is collected through annual reporting. Surveys are distributed via
email and information from both completed reports is used to determine eligibility for end of year Certificates of
appreciation.
REPORTING
Two reporting periods – one in the spring and one in the fall – give RIP Guardian volunteer contacts an
opportunity to share the group’s accomplishments and activities. The spring reporting period covers planning,
recording, and maintenance events from January through June. The fall reporting period covers work performed
from July to December. Surveys are distributed via email to RIP Guardian contacts in June and December.
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Information gathered from the completed forms is incorporated in the RIP Guardian Update, distributed in the
summer and winter following reporting periods. Both the spring and fall surveys must be submitted by the
deadline posted on each form in order to be eligible for a certificate of appreciation.
CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION
Certificates of appreciation are formal statements of gratitude signed by the executive director of the Texas
Historical Commission and are suitable for framing. Certificates of appreciation are only distributed to RIP
Guardian groups that have submitted both spring and fall surveys on time and met other eligibility requirements.
Formal certificates of appreciation are distributed to RIP Guardian contacts whose volunteer groups honor the
signed Code of Ethics, met the minimum requirement of two measures each reporting period, and have
submitted surveys by the stated deadline.
ELIGIBILITY CHECKLIST
RIP Guardian groups range in size from four to forty. Once your group has decided to take the next step toward
longterm preservation of a particular cemetery, consider the eligibility checklist below. A group must have at least
two members, although ideally it would be made up of many more. If you can check all the boxes, you are ready
to sign the RIP Guardian Code of Ethics.
 Cemetery has been designated a Historic Texas Cemetery
 You have read and initialed the Standards for Preserving Historic Cemeteries
 You have signed the RIP Guardian Code of Ethics and completed the Contact Information Form
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EXPECTATIONS
The RIP Guardian network is a trust between local volunteers and the THC. To get started, fill out the
contact information form, sign and return the RIP Guardian Code of Ethics, and read and initial next to each
of the eight Standards for Preservation of Historic Cemeteries, all included in this packet.
Once the three forms are received by the THC, the local RIP Guardian contact will receive educational
material, samples, and tools to help guide the cemetery preservation project.
Local RIP Guardian contact will:
 Sign and honor the Code of Ethics
 Apply the Standards for Preservation of Historic Cemeteries to all decision making processes
 Recruit and coordinate volunteers, events, and projects related to the cemetery
 Complete and submit the annual survey by established deadlines
Local RIP Guardian contacts receive:
 Educational materials, including sample press releases, survey forms, and handouts
 Access to the RIP Guardian listserv, a networking opportunity for volunteers across the state
 Technical assistance tailored to the local group’s needs
 Hands-on training opportunities
Termination of RIP Guardian status may occur when a local program has deliberately disregarded the
benchmarks and acted in a manner incongruous with the aim of the statewide program. Disregard of the
Standards for Preservation of Historic Cemeteries and state laws will also lead to termination of RIP
Guardian status.
Groups maintaining RIP Guardian status become part of a statewide preservation effort to educate others
about the historical importance and relevance of Texas cemeteries. By making a commitment now,
participating groups positively influence their communities and lower the number of endangered cemeteries
threatened by neglect.
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CONTACT INFORMATION FORM: RIP GUARDIANS
Please answer the questions below and return to history@thc.state.tx.us or mail to PO Box
12276, Austin, Texas 78711-2276.
Cemetery name
County
RIP Guardian contact information
Primary Contact name
Address
Phone
Cell
Email address
Co-contact name (encouraged, but not required)
Address
Phone
Cell
Email address
Cemetery information
1. In what year was the Historic Texas Cemetery designation received?
2. Does a fence mark the boundaries?
 Yes – material ________________________  No
3. Is there a sign with contact information at the cemetery?
 Yes
 No
4. Has an individual gravemarker/feature survey been completed?
 Yes
 No
5. Cemetery volunteers communicate primarily via (circle one) email
US mail
telephone
6. Does the volunteer group have 501(c) status?
 Yes, we’re a (circle one) (c)3 (c)13
 No
7. Have bylaws been approved?
 Yes (please enclose)
 No
8. Are there regularly scheduled maintenance events?
If yes, how many times a year/what months
 Yes
 No
9. Have any planning documents been completed for the cemetery?
 Yes
 No
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PRESERVATION STANDARDS
RIP Guardians are committed to following preservation best practices. The following
standards are derived from the US Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation. All
RIP Guardian Contacts must read and initial next to each guideline. To ensure the idea
of Do No Harm, all work done in a historic cemetery should follow these guidelines.
Standards for Preservation of Historic Cemeteries
1.
Identify and inventory all features, materials, spaces, and spatial relationships that
are important in defining the historic character of the cemetery. Features can include
gravemarkers, sculpture, grave decorations, curbing, fences, walks, roads, lights, benches,
fountains, pools, land forms (terracing, berms, grading), and vegetation (trees, shrubs, other
historic plant material).
2.
Preserve distinguishing original qualities that reflect the integrity of the cemetery.
Avoid removing or altering any historic material or distinctive landscape features.
3.
Recognize that landscape features are products of their own time. Alterations,
which have no historic basis and which seek to create an earlier appearance, should be
discouraged.
4.
Recognize that changes over time are evidence of the history and development of
the cemetery. These changes may have acquired significance in their own right, and this
significance should be respected.
5.
Repair, rather than replace, deteriorated cemetery features when feasible. If
replacement is necessary, match the material being replaced with similar composition, design,
color, texture and other visual qualities. Replacement of missing features should be
substantiated by historical, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than by relying on
conjectural designs or on elements copied from other cemeteries.
6.
Use the gentlest means possible to clean the surfaces of features in the cemetery.
Avoid sandblasting and harsh chemicals that will damage historic materials.
7.
Plan new construction so it will not destroy the historic character of the site.
Differentiate new elements from the old, but ensure they are compatible with the general
massing, size, and scale in order to protect the historic integrity.
8.
Make every reasonable effort to protect and preserve cemetery features, including
unmarked graves, affected by or adjacent to any proposed work. Contact the History
Programs Division at 512/463-5853 if you have concerns about the likelihood of unmarked
graves or encounter evidence of disturbed graves during the course of your cemetery
preservation project.
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CODE OF ETHICS
I recognize and respect the unique physical and natural elements that make historic
cemeteries irreplaceable resources for understanding and interpreting the history of Texas.
As an RIP Guardian point of contact I will advance cemetery preservation through surveys,
research, and the promotion of sensitive maintenance techniques.
I have read the preservation information addressed in Preserving Historic Cemeteries: Texas
Preservation Guidelines and the Standards for Preservation of Historic Cemeteries. I pledge to uphold
these safe methods and to observe appropriate cemetery etiquette as outlined in those
documents. I will share cemetery preservation education materials with all volunteers. I will
organize a minimum of two public maintenance or education events a year at the cemetery
and submit required surveys.
I pledge to foster a strong sense of stewardship for historic burial places and to abide by
rules and regulations of the State of Texas and the Texas Historical Commission.
Cemetery name (print)
Local RIP Guardian contact name (print)
Signature
Date
Received on the
day of
,
Anne Shelton, coordinator, Cemetery Preservation Program
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