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Historic White Rock Cemetery Restoration
Cemetery restoration and preservation involves many diverse skills that no one person can attain. In the case of Historic White Rock Cemetery, the first skill needed is landscaping and site improvement, such as removal of the correct trees, brush and plants that are encroaching on  the burial sites or hampering proper maintenance. Because of neglect of maintenance of the cemetery and abandonment of the city streets surrounding HWRC, the area had become a dumping site by residents and a perfect concealed place for the use of drugs and alcohol. Bags and bags of bottles and household trash continue to be removed—including worn out carpet, mattresses, dead animals, linoleum, syringes, baggies, etc.
Resetting of head stones and footstones and cleaning of these stones is the next skill required in the restoration of HWRC.
As in most cemeteries, there are a variety of materials: granite, marble, cement and bronze - each requiring a different conservation
technique. We are grateful to Jane White at the Old City Cemetery for inviting us to participate in the recent cemetery restoration
technique clinic she had for her staff.
For more information about the different kinds of cemetery restoration taking place at HWRC, please click here to visit the Chicora Foundation website.
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