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Many people do not
realize that the early or "colonial" era gravestones of
the United States are in fact much larger that what you
see above ground. Because of the thickness of these
early gravestones
half of the length will
be found below ground level.
This was not only done to ensure that
the gravestone would remain straight and sturdy, but for
other reasons such as the frost over many northern
winters would push the gravestone up. A gravestone with
a shorter base would over time be prone to falling over.
The use of the long base would prevent this.
With
the turn of the 20th Century, gravestones gradually
became thicker & heavier eliminating the need to set so
much of the stone below ground. A concrete foundation
was simply poured to keep the stone in place.
There are numerous reasons why one of these early
gravestones might start to lean. Sometimes the tilting
of the gravestone was caused by the grave collapsing
over the years, and the settling caused the stone to
tilt in that direction.
Adverse
weather conditions such as the winter frost as mentioned
above or abnormally heavy rain seasons could lead to
this.
You will also discover that
stones of this nature are still in use today.
Government issued veteran gravestones are 42 inches
long, with half in the ground.
Resetting one of these stones is not an easy process to
undertake and the following things should be kept in
mind when working with this type of gravestone:
- Before attempting
anything of this nature be sure that if at all
possible you have written permission.
- Research local laws
or cemetery rules and regulations to be sure that
this type of work is legal in the cemetery. You may
discover that some local governments will not the
use of specific tools such as
A hoe
shovel, or pick except by cemetery workers.
-
Attempting to straighten the gravestone by pushing
or rocking can and will cause it to break off at
ground level. This should not be done.
- You
should first have some idea of what caused the
problem in the first place, the type of stone, and
be able to gauge with accuracy the degree of wear
the gravestone has undergone. In the case of the
type of stone if
you're dealing with a gravestone from another era,
it's probably not made of the durable granite almost
universally used today. Red sandstone, commonly used
during the American Colonial Period, and marble,
which became popular during the 19th Century after
quarries were opened in Vermont, are among the
historic materials which are very vulnerable to
erosion.
- To properly align
the gravestone you will carefully need to excavate
the base of the stone. Keep in mind that the stone
will be quite heavy and unless you have the proper
tools and equipment to heel the stone in place
during the excavation process you may end up with a
larger problem that you started out with. For more
information on this area, please see
Lifting Stones With A Tripod
Hoist.
- Once you have the
gravestone reset in it's proper position, you must
be sure to repack the soil surrounding it hard
enough to support the gravestone. Take into account
that a good rain may come along and loosen the dirt
causing the stone to start tilting all over again.
You may discover that it
may be for the best to simply leave the tilting stone as
you found it and not take the chance of doing further
damage. If you are not experienced in this type of work
it is highly recommended that you do not attempt to re
set the stone.
The state, county or local
historic society or museum should be able to advise you
and provide you with the names of restorers in your
vicinity. Some museums are even directly involved in
gravestone restoration, with experts on the premises. If
the damaged gravestone is from the modern era, any local
monument business should be able to repair it. In the
case of a crooked/sunken stone, the cemetery may be
responsible for providing a new foundation, especially
if the burial involved a "perpetual care" fee. Again,
the costs will vary; don't hesitate to ask and shop
around. |
