Respectful Care for Old Burying Grounds: A Volunteer’s Guide

Few places tell the story of New England like its old burying grounds. Slate and marble headstones, some more than three centuries old, carry names, dates, carvings and verses that reveal how earlier generations lived, worshipped, worked and grieved. Many of these sites sit right in the middle of towns and neighborhoods, next to busy streets and modern buildings.

Spring, with Patriots’ Day and a renewed interest in local history, is a natural time to think about caring for these places. Volunteers can play a valuable role. But historic grave markers are fragile, and well-meant cleaning can cause lasting harm. This guide explains how to help respectfully and safely.

Start With Permission

Every burying ground or cemetery has an owner or caretaker. Some belong to cities and towns and are managed by a parks, public works or cemetery department. Others belong to churches, private associations or historical groups. Before doing any work:

• Find out who owns and manages the site.
• Ask whether volunteer help is welcome and what kinds of work are allowed.
• Learn about any rules for visiting, photographing or holding groups.
• Ask whether a historical commission or preservation group already has a care plan.

Some historic sites are only open at certain times or require an escort. Always respect posted rules.

Why Gentle Matters

Old headstones are made of materials like slate, sandstone, marble and granite. Over centuries, they weather, crack and flake. Many are already unstable. Common cleaning methods can make things much worse:

• Scrubbing with wire brushes can scratch and wear away carvings.
• Household cleaners, bleach and other chemicals can damage stone and leave harmful residues.
• Pressure washing can blast away surfaces and loosen fragments.
• Shaving cream, flour or chalk, sometimes used to make inscriptions readable, can stain and damage stone.
• Gravestone rubbings can stress fragile markers and are prohibited at many sites.

Cleaning or repairing historic stones should only be done by people trained in conservation, with the owner’s approval. Volunteers can help in many other ways.

Helpful, Low-Risk Volunteer Work

With permission, volunteers can make a big difference through gentle, non-invasive tasks:

• Litter pickup: remove trash, bottles and debris by hand with gloves.
• Clearing fallen branches and leaves from paths and around markers, carefully and by hand.
• Trimming around stones with hand clippers, if allowed. String trimmers and mowers can chip and scar stone, so avoid using them near markers.
• Reporting damage: note fallen, broken or leaning stones, graffiti or vandalism, and share it with the caretaker.
• Documenting: photograph markers in natural light to help create a record before further weathering.
• Welcoming visitors: help at open houses, tours or history events.

Photographing Markers Without Harm

Photographs can preserve information as stones weather. Tips for good, safe photos:

1. Visit when the sun strikes the face of the stone at an angle, often early morning or late afternoon, which helps carvings stand out.
2. Use a large mirror or reflector to bounce light across the surface if natural light is flat.
3. Do not touch, lean on or prop anything against stones.
4. Take a straight-on photo of each stone, plus close-ups of carvings and inscriptions.
5. Note the location of each marker, using a site map if one exists.

Ask the caretaker whether a documentation project already exists so your photos can contribute.

Safety for Volunteers

Old burying grounds can have uneven ground, sunken graves and unstable stones. Keep yourself and others safe:

• Wear sturdy shoes and work gloves.
• Watch your step, especially near depressions in the ground.
• Never climb on, lean on or try to straighten leaning stones.
• Do not lift fallen fragments; report them instead.
• Work in pairs or groups.
• Check for ticks after working in grassy or wooded areas.

Respect the Place and the People

Burying grounds are historic sites, but they are also places of memory and, sometimes, active mourning. A few principles:

• Keep voices low and behavior respectful.
• Do not remove or move flowers, flags, stones or mementos left at graves.
• Keep pets leashed and clean up after them, if pets are allowed at all.
• Teach children why the place matters and how to behave there.
• Remember that these sites hold people of all backgrounds, including many whose stories were left out of history books. Approach with curiosity and care.

Learn and Share the Stories

Caring for a burying ground can open a door into local history. Visit your library or historical society to learn about the people buried there, the carvers who made the stones and the events that shaped the community. Consider sharing what you learn through a short walking guide, a library talk or a neighborhood newsletter, with permission from site owners.

Make It an Ongoing Commitment

One spring clean-up is helpful. A small group that visits a few times a year to pick up litter, report damage and document changes is even more valuable. Ask the caretaker whether an adopt-a-site arrangement or friends group would be welcome. Through patient, gentle care, volunteers help these quiet places keep telling their stories for generations to come.

A Sample Volunteer Morning

A typical two-hour session might look like this: meet the caretaker at the gate, review the rules and any areas to avoid, split into pairs, and spend an hour collecting litter and fallen branches by hand. Spend the next half hour walking the rows to note leaning, fallen or damaged stones on a simple site map. Finish by sharing notes with the caretaker, returning tools, and checking for ticks. Short, careful sessions like this are easy to repeat each season.