PITTSFORD, N.Y. — A group of volunteers is restoring headstones at a local cemetery.
A few weeks ago, News10NBC reported on veterans’ headstones at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery covered in dirt and debris. After that story aired, a Pittsford-based cemetery cleanup crew reached out. News10NBC’s Tom Kowalski spoke with the volunteer group.
The Daughters of the American Revolution Caleb Hopkins Chapter has spent almost a year cleaning up headstones at the Pioneer Burying Grounds.
“These are some of the people that founded Pittsford. A lot of people will recognize the names as names of roads or nearby towns,” said Betsy Unterborn, a memeber of the DAR.
“For a lot of the people buried here, their stone is really the only tangible evidence that they existed and were part of this community. The stones are really historic documents, and we want to make sure that they stay accessible for as long as possible.”
Unterborn says while the DAR organizes the cleanups, they’re open to anyone. So what inspired the DAR to begin the cleanup?
“We meet at the old schoolhouse next door so we could see what bad shape the cemetery was in,” said Unterborn. “And because two of the missions of the DAR are patriotism and historic preservation, this was kind of a no brainer project for us.”
The restoration process begins with digging a trench around the stone. Volunteers then carefully lift the stone out of the ground using a two-by-four, without touching it with a shovel. How they repair the stone depends on what type it is – they may use mortar or epoxy.
Then cleaners wet the headstones, then spray them with a headstone cleaner called D2 before gently brushing off the dirt and grime, and washing off once again with water.
Unterborn suggested anyone looking to restore headstones should reach out to the town or village.
“Usually the town historian is very helpful,” she said. “You’ll find that a lot of the local experts and people that do this will go around to the various, cemeteries, and they all help each other.”
Unterborn says her group will likely focus on the Pioneer Burying Grounds, as there is a lot of work to be done – possibly taking years.
Those interested in volunteering or donating can find the group at the Pioneer Burying Grounds Facebook group.
Susan Nati, who News10NBC spoke with a few weeks ago regarding Holy Sepulchre, is organizing her own cleanup of the cemetery. You can contact her at susan.nati@aol.com.
Holy Sepulchre said it is open to all volunteer cleanup opportunities, saying “The care and maintenance of Holy Sepulchre Cemeteries is an ongoing responsibility, and we’re grateful for community members who want to be part of that effort. We would be happy to explore how this volunteer organization may be able to assist. Thank you for your care and interest in helping preserve these sacred spaces.“
Want to help clean up a local cemetery? Here’s how one Pittsford group is doing it — and how you can get involved WHEC.com.
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