A Graveyard Preservation Primer by Strangstad Lynette

Author:Strangstad, Lynette [Strangstad, Lynette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AltaMira Press
Published: 2013-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

Figure 4.10. Resetting a tabletstone. Lay a dry fragment base covered with soil, support temporarily with brick fragments, and fill with a mixture of sand and gravel for drainage. Check for level and plumb, and fill top area with soil and sod, tamping for firm support. Drawing by Carol Perkins.

Although these beds can be useful in stabilizing reset stones, a good rule of thumb is: the less elaborate, the better. When existing soils drain well, little improvement is necessary. Dense, clay soils, however, may pose drainage problems and should be amended. Inspect the existing soil to decide on a course of action. Most of the old tabletstones were originally set into the earth without any below-grade preparation. Generally, as much stone was set belowground as is seen above, which in itself diminished the stone’s tendency to lean from plumb. When in doubt, it is most often safe to repeat the earlier setters’ procedure.

By all means, avoid overkill. For example, setting stones below grade into concrete is extremely damaging, nearly irreversible, and unsightly. Likewise, setting stones and adding a concrete collar around them for “stability” is very damaging. In any graveyard or cemetery where the stones have been set into concrete for a few years, an observer will find many of them have snapped off at the line of the concrete.

In spite of one’s best efforts, there is no guarantee that an occasional stone will not again settle or tilt out of plumb. Many factors, such as imperfect tamping, unusual drainage patterns, or nearby building construction can interfere with the stability of a newly set stone.

Tablets set into bases, as commonly found in nineteenth-century marble markers, benefit from a prepared footing. In many cases these are of stone or brick and reach down to a depth of only twelve to eighteen inches or so. In the South, where frost is unlikely to settle to a depth of eighteen inches, this is adequate. But in areas where frost may go as deep as three or four feet, these small footings can be insufficient. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to find shallow footings on early markers in the North. Sometimes frost heaves result; sometimes they do not. Soils that are sandy and drain well are least likely to suffer frost heaves; those that are heavy and clayey are more likely to. In replacing such footings, when extending the footing below the frost line is not feasible, good drainage is helpful.

In setting these mortise-tenon style markers into their bases, use a lime putty to set the tenon into its mortise. To ensure a clean joint, clean it carefully as it sets, but before it cures.

When existing pins are found in tablets on bases, sometimes these can be reused. Sound iron pins can be coated with rust-inhibiting primers, and existing holes can sometimes be reused. In other cases, deteriorating pins are removed and replaced, usually with stainless steel. They, too, can be set in lime putty.

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