A Monument Conservation Workshop will be offered on Wednesday, Oct. 2, through Friday, Oct. 4, at the historic Lancaster Cemetery, 205 E. Lemon St., Lancaster. Through a mutually beneficial project, grave marker enthusiasts, preservation advocates, and conservation specialists will have the opportunity to share their time, talent, and skills while making a difference at Lancaster Cemetery.
Preservationist and conservator Robert Mosko will lead this hands-on workshop daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lancaster Cemetery. Participants will be introduced to the baseline knowledge, theory, techniques, and materials that underpin gravestone preservation. The collaboration will also include hands-on training in cleaning headstones, repair practices, and resetting fallen monuments. People of all skill levels are welcome.
On Oct. 2, first-time attendees will attend a full-day lecture and classroom instruction time addressing cemetery safety, subsidence and erosion, landscape restoration and maintenance, types and styles of gravestones, weathering and deterioration processes, and condition assessments and documentation practices. On Thursday, Oct. 3, and Oct. 4, the hands-on work will begin as participants are guided through the handling, moving, and resetting of historic gravestones, including basic engineering and rigging, raising and lifting sensitive markers, setting techniques, and setting materials and compounds.
Previous workshop attendees will start the workshop with hands-on conservation techniques. Enthusiasts will also be introduced to basic grave marker documentation, cleaning solutions, and work practices.
The event is free. Participants may register for one, two, or all three workshop days. For more information, readers may contact Jerry Smoker at jsmoker@msn.com, or they may call 717-490-2001 to make reservations.
Participants are encouraged to bring work gloves and wear comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes suitable for varying weather conditions. Attendees are also responsible for providing their own meals, lodging, and transportation to and from Lancaster Cemetery.
Leave a Review