BIG STONE GAP, Virginia — In nearly every community across the country, cemeteries stand as places of reverence and serve to hold in memory those who came before.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Show me your cemeteries and I will tell you what kind of community you have.†This is still true today.
Every monument in every cemetery represents a life, and every life deserves to be memorialized with dignity. One important way is with a properly cleaned headstone.
From 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, join stone conservator Burke Greear along with staff from the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park for a headstone preservation workshop at Big Stone Gap’s historic Glencoe Cemetery.
Museum staff will share information on the proper methods of cleaning and conserving a variety of grave monuments.
Participants will discover how to identify different types of stone, monument styles and the characteristics associated with each. A wide array of symbols and meanings found on historic monuments will be explored, as well.
Participants should wear sturdy-toed shoes and dress properly for an outdoor work activity. The fee for the workshop is $40 per participant, which will include a professional-grade gravestone cleaning kit to take home.
Participation is limited to the first 15 registrants. Deadline to register is Friday, April 11.
For more information or to register, please email swvamuseum@dcr.virginia.gov or call the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park at 276-523-1322.
