Thomas A. Stevens Cemetery Restorations
10 Lynch Road
Newcastle, Maine 04553
207-319-6315
“Serving the State of Maine”
There are literally thousands of old cemeteries across the state of Maine. Many of which are a meticulous remembrance of our ancestors, while others are neglected and in dire need of repair. Some of these historic landmarks date back as far as 250 years and range from small family plots to larger cemeteries established by associations. When these monuments were erected hundreds of years ago, they were intended as an eternal tribute to loved ones.
Over the centuries, as generations passed on and ancestors lost touch, it became more difficult to maintain these cemeteries. In addition, cemetery associations became smaller due to budget cuts and some were taken over by the town. Others were left without care completely.
In recent years the state passed a law that mandated all veterans’ memorials be maintained. If family members or associations are unable to do so, then it becomes the responsibility of the town. We owe it to our veterans, and to all of our deceased ancestors, to respectfully maintain these important symbols of their lives.
Thomas A. Stevens Cemetery Restorations is often hired, upon the request of town citizens, to restore these neglected cemeteries; all of which once again become proud reflections of their community. We encourage you to visit the old cemeteries in your community and advocate to your town officials, if you feel they are in need of attention.
Before & After
Cemeteries Require Care, People, Money
By Janine Pineo
From the June issue of Maine Municipal Association’s Maine Townsman
Time is not kind to cemeteries. Coupled with the inexorable march of Maine’s four seasons, the ravages of time often are visible in some of the thousands of burial grounds across the state, which was first colonized in the early 1600s.
The coast and other land accessible by water bore the mark of early settlers who cleared forests into fields and farmland centuries ago, often situating a family cemetery plot somewhere on the property. As settlements, towns and cities were established over the decades, larger cemeteries were set up by municipalities and associations.
From an individual buried in a single plot to acres of land marked with thousands of gravesites, the care of those cemeteries today often falls into the hands of the municipality where it is located, creating a challenge to find a balance between the needs of the living and the responsibility to respect those who are buried within the town’s borders.
Outline of Procedures
Resetting & repair
Whenever possible, all monuments will be reset in the way that they were originally installed. Slate tablets are set back into the ground to their proper depth and the fill that is put back around them is compacted.
Marble tablets were set either the same way as the slate tablets, or they were set into a granite or sandstone base just below the ground surface. This base has a slot cut into it that the marble tablets were set into. If the tablet is leaning, and is still intact in the base, we dig out on the side of the tablet that it is leaning towards. We then lift that side of the monument and shim it with enough flat stone to make it straight again.If the tablet is loose in the base, we reset it back into the base in mortar after leveling and pressure washing it.
Marble and granite monuments with one or more bases that are leaning are straightened the same way as the marble tablets with bases.
If a monument is broken, and enough of the pieces can be found, it is pressure washed and then pieced back together with epoxy.
Cleaning
Cleaning will be accomplished with the use of a pressure washer that generates 2500p.s.i. at the nozzle tip. Only enough pressure required to remove the accumulated growth will be used. Marble monuments will be pressure washed and then have bleach, or for an extra charge the biological solution D2, will be applied to remove the stains caused by the fungus growth.
The Maine Old Cemetery Association, M.O.C.A., does not approve the use of pressure washing or the application of bleach to marble monuments. They have lessened their opposition to pressure washing but still don’t approve of the use of bleach.They would prefer that we use the biological solution D2.Personally, after cleaning marble stones for over 45 years, I have not noticed any damage. If you visit Arlington National Cemetery some of the marble tablets are barely legible and are being replaced. This is because they are washed every few years. I recommend at least 20 years between cleanings.When we use bleach the monuments are white when we leave the cemetery. D2 leaves them slightly brownish but will turn white after a few months.The downside is that D2 is about 20 times more expensive than bleach.
Granite monuments will have a mild acid solution applied prior to pressure washing to aid in the removal of the fungus and to etch the unpolished surfaces.
Is your town on the list?
All of the communities on the list below have shown pride in their community by having their cemeteries restored to their original dignity.
| Belmont, Pat Higgins | Boothbay, | Bradford, Carlene Oake |
| Bradley, Melissa Doane | Bremen, Anne Seifert | Brewer, Ken Hanscom |
| Brooks, Jane McLaughlin | Brunswick, Pamela Fogg | Buxton, Richard Atkinson |
| Caratunk, Neil Katz | Chelsea, Robert Drisko | Clinton, Earl Pratt |
| Crystal, Susan L. York | Cumberland, William Shane | Cushing, Chester Knowles |
| Damariscotta, Patti Whitten | Durham, Joseph Donovick | Dixfield, Charlotte Collins |
| Eddington, Pam Violette | Edgecomb, Donald Hutchins | Ellsworth, Timothy King |
| Exeter, Robert Wetzler | Fayette, Louise Simmons | Friendship, Sally Foster |
| Georgetown, Pam Kakalis | Greene, Stephen Eldridge | Harpswell, Christy Eiane |
| Harrison, Michael Thorne | Hartland, Wayne Libby | Hermon, Clinton Deschene |
| Holden, Larry Varisco | Howland, Glenna Armour | Island Falls, Cheryl McNally |
| Islesboro, Kathy Stoker | Leeds, Joyce Pratt | Lincoln, Ron Weatherbee |
| Lincolnville, Heather Bilodeau | Manchester, Arlene Lebel | Mattawamkeag, |
| Mechanic Falls, Roland Hemond | Minot, Constance Taker | Newcastle, Edmee Dejean |
| Newport, John Buckland | Nobleboro, George Dow | North Haven, Hist. Soc. |
| Northport, Barbara O’Leary | Norway, David Holt | Orland, Goodwin Ames |
| Orr’s Island, John Sylvester | Otisfield, Marianne Izzo-Morin | Owl’s Head, Nancy Colson |
| Paris, Sharon Jackson | Poland, Rose Aikman | Plymouth, Shirley Nelson |
| Prospect, Vera Dyer | Readfield, Gregory Gill | Richmond, Jay Robbins |
| Rome, Mike Proctor | Scarborough, Mike Shaw | Searsmont, Don Corcoran |
| Sebago, “Rosie” Kulow | Sedgwick, Judy Herrick | Sherman, Debra O’Roak |
| Sidney, Gloria, Ripley | Silver Ridge, Paul Bernier | Skowhegan, Randall Gray |
| Solon, Mary Lou Ridley | South Bristol, Ken Lincoln | So. Thomaston, Charles Hartman |
| Stockton Springs, Joseph Hayes | Sullivan, Harris McLean | Sumner, Cynthia Norton |
| Turner, Eva Leavitt | Union, Myrna Soule | Waltham, Diann Jordan |
| Washington, Donald Grinnell | West Bath, Elaine Lemont | West Paris, Bill Keich |
| Wiscasset, Woody Freeman |