Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in the Great State of Ohio

Dedicated to cemetery preservation in the great state of Ohio


"A cemetery may be considered as abandoned when all or practically all of the bodies have been Removed therefrom and no bodies have been buried therein for a great many years, and the cemetery has been so long neglected as entirely to lose its identity as such, and is no longer known, recognized and respected by the public as a cemetery. 1953 OAG 2978."

Sunday, May 17, 2015

May is National Historic Preservation Month -- And That Includes Cemeteries!

Sharing these photographs to remind us that May is National Historic Preservation Month!

Please encourage your county genealogical and historical societies in Ohio to include cemeteries as a focus for their meetings and activities!  

Whether it be touring cemeteries, holding ghost walks, or offering hands-on cemetery / gravestone preservation workshops, cemeteries are places for the living.  Places for honoring those who came before us and keeping their gravesites in respectable condition without damaging them -- ensuring that any cleaning, repairing and re-setting of gravestones is done using DO NO HARM best practices.  That means opting for the least abrasive / aggressive methods and tools as possible (think NO POWER TOOLS!); assessing first if any work is deemed to be needed at all.  

Also, remember that a historic cemetery should stay a historic cemetery -- keeping the gravestones in place on their original gravesites. Unfortunately, good intentions can go overboard and turn a cemetery into something it isn't. A cemetery should not have to lose its character and identity to be in good condition.