SET in STONE

Tombstones have a long history. The word “cemetery” is Greek for “sleeping chamber,” and (appropriately) Ancient Greeks were among the first to designate land at the edge of their cities for burying the dead. By the time of medieval Europe, Christians wanted to be buried on consecrated ground either in a church or next to it. And before the Industrial Revolution, only the rich could afford markers and monuments.

But once the working class could place carved markers on their loved ones’ graves, communities began to realize the need for larger, more publicly accessible cemeteries. By the 19th century, landscape architects like David Bates and Douglass and Frederick Law Olmstead were designing aesthetically pleasing “rural cemeteries.” These burial parks encouraged residents to “take the air” and enjoy the beautiful views by strolling, picnicking and holding joyful celebrations there. That, in turn, influenced the public’s desire for more detailed gravestones and monuments.

More detail in tombstones means more value for family historians. But headstones are at risk due to their age and exposure to the elements, each causing them