We will be updating this page regularly, so please check back often. In the meantime we hope you will find the following information useful!
NATIONAL PRESERVATION GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS
The following are national guidelines and standards for ethics and practice for the preservation of cultural and historic objects, structures and places. These guidelines should be reviewed and appropriately incorporated into the preservation planning and treatment of markers and burial grounds.
- United States Secretary of the Interior Standards, including the Standards for Preservation, the Standards for Restoration, the Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and the Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes.
- American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Objects Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice and Commentaries to the Guidelines to Practice.
Ethics and Guidelines Commentary
CEMETERY CONSERVATION
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training:
CEMETERY PRESERVATION PUBLICATIONS
The following publications may be helpful guides for reviewing accepted methods, materials and best practice that promote the physical, historical and cultural longevity of markers and burial grounds.
It is important to emphasize that the preservation field is not static; reexamination of previous practices and ongoing research leads to the development of improved repair materials and methodologies. The reassessment and refinement of preservation philosophies also contribute to beneficial changes in planning and practice. Responsible preservation should acknowledge these advancements.
Discretion is required when evaluating preservation related documents. Some older publications may not represent current, best accepted practice. Likewise, new methods and methodologies should not hastily be implemented on historic objects without due peer review and adequate field testing.
- National Park Service best practices exemplified in Preservation Brief 48: Preserving Grave Markers in Historic Cemeteries and Best Practice Recommendations for Cleaning Government Issued Markers . Note: the scrubbing of historic or fragile markers is not advised. Accepted biocidal cleaners alone will eradicate and sufficiently clean most markers over a one year period after application.
- A Graveyard Preservation Primer.
Stragstad, Lynette, Altamira Press; Second Edition (August 28, 2013).
- Preservation Guidelines for Municipally Owned Historic Burial Grounds and Cemeteries, Third Edition, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Walker-Kluesing Design Group, for DCR Historic Cemeteries Preservation Initiative, 2009.
- Survey Methodology for the Preservation of Historic Burial Grounds, Frank Matero, Judy Peters, University of Pennsylvania, APT Bulletin, Volume 34, Issue 2/3 2003, pages 37-45.
- Guide for Practitioners 2 Conservation of Historic Graveyards, Ingval Maxwell, Ratish Nanda, Dennis Urquhart, Historic Scotland, Crown and Authors, Edinburgh, 2001.
- Landscape of Memories: A guide for Conserving Historic Cemeteries, BYA, T. Anson-Cartwright, Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation, Province of Ontario, Toronto, Canada, 2003.
