Parkers Crossroads Cemetery Undergoes Restoration Project

Workers are seen making repairs to restore several older monuments at the Parkers Crossroads Cemetery.
Photo by: W. Clay Crook / The Lexington Progress
Article by W. Clay Crook-
You’ll see them in the cool of the day, mixing mortar, chipping away old concrete or forming a new base. Mike Alexander, from Chester County, is a professionally certified member of Cemetery Conservators for United Standards. Their motto is “Preserving Cemeteries with No Harm Restoration Methods.” He and his protégé, Debbie Nowicki of Adamsville, are involved with the restoration project at the Parkers Crossroads Cemetery. Several of the older monuments are snapped in half, some have been previously repaired but have fractured, and some of the obelisk markers are undergoing “stone walk” where the top portion moves slowly off the base.
Debbie said that you really have to match the mortar to the material that the monument is made from, as she mixed a batch of mortar that contained marble flakes. “Use something that is too strong and you can create a stress fracture later,” she said. Something too soft, and it may…
For the complete story, see the August 26th edition of The Lexington Progress.
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