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Cemetery Preservation Workshops

There are no state laws that describe the techniques for preservation of cemeteries and gravestones, but there are best practices and standards to meet to assure that you are preserving the site in a way that will not eventually lead to damage. Each year the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology co-sponsors with the Indiana Historical Society a series of workshops to teach the skills needed in cemetery preservation.

Who should attend?
Anyone interested in caring for a cemetery. Whether you are doing the work yourself or working with a group to see that a cultural site is maintained and preserved. Members of the community interested in the personal and historical significance of cemeteries will have the opportunity to learn about and maintain. First-timers as well as those with previous experience can gain hands-on experience in keeping history.

Workshop I is a two-day workshop and will be offered from on Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 3 31 at Johnson County, just south of Indianapolis. Topics include Indiana cemetery laws, stone types, symbolism, stone cleaning, tablet straightening, and maintenance. This workshop is a combination of classroom lectures and in-the-field, hands-on work.
Workshop II (Workshop I is required before attending this workshop) focuses on advanced cemetery preservation techniques, including fixing simple breaks, resetting obelisks, determining the original location of a stone once it's been moved, and how to mix stone dust to fill in cracks. Most of the workshop will be spent in the cemetery, where participants will gain hands-on experience repairing stones.

To register, contact the Indiana Historical Society

These workshops are funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.

Click here to see photos from past workshops!

Other Cemetery Resources