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Preservation of Special Stones



note the small square plot boundry marker
Photo by John Skakel


Small Foot Stones and other Markers



Stones sitting in a gravel bed.
Notice the position of the foot stones.
Photo by John Skakel

We have found small foot stones to be a problem. Similarly corner stones. What do you do with them? Pretty much up to the people on your cemetery board.

However, the following are some suggestions.

  1. Corner stones. We suggest either bringing them up quite high, or leaving them quite low, as they are trip hazards. Safety must always be a major concern. In either case, consider using a very sizable border of gravel around them and a good cushion of packed gravel underneath.
  2. Small foot stones and other markers. Foot stones and other markers are always a problem. What best to do with them. In the beginning we tended to leave them where they were with the thought that no stones should ever be moved. However, we began to realize the problems this cases for grass cutters, and future maintenance of the preserved areas.
  3. Lately we have been moving many of these stones up near the head stone with the printing facing out. With today's technology we can do scans to find burial locations or use the old "witching" techniques. The old vs the new. However, the foot stone is now historical but not needed to mark the exact grave for future grave diggers. Thus we have found it is often very helpful to simply stand it up right near the stone it is associated with and in front of it with print facing out.
  4. The third option is to place it into a bed of gravel level with the ground with gravel on all sides.

Any of the above three options are great when considering what to do with foot stones. It is really a decision of your board. But please remember the historic value of these stones. They should NOT be removed in any case!

  1. Other items like the square bottoms of cement bases, old cement rough slabs, etc all present problems. Often times they tend to confirm burial places, and are a part of history. Yet often times they are in the way of mowers etc. This is simply something that you need to decide upon.

NOTE ..... Always remember that using soil to hold a stone in place rather than gravel is totally useless. It will be totally tipped again in only a few months if you hold it up with soil or do not put a bead of gravel beneath it.

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