Repair and restore

EPHRAIM — They don't build things like they used to.

While that can be a good thing for modern buildings that can have more strength and structure, it can be not-so-good when it comes to repairing, restoring and renovating things built in the past.

Sometimes new ways of construction are diametrically opposed to methods used in the past, and using those methods and materials on old things can do more harm than good, says Russ Mendenhall, director of the Traditional Building Skills Institute, based at Snow College.

Take something as simple as old gravestones, for example, he says. Many of the gravestones in the old pioneer cemetery in Ephraim are made of soft limestone, which can weaken and crumble over time. But repairing them can be tricky. "Using modern materials against that soft stone can actually cause more destruction."

So, on a recent weekend, several interested participants attended a workshop at the cemetery to learn appropriate methods of repair and restoration for old gravestones.

The workshop is the latest addition to the curriculum of the TBSI; instructor for the course was Jonathan Appell, a monument worker based in West Hartford, Conn., who has become involved in monument preservation in a big way. He's been doing it full-time since 2000, and now gives workshops all over the country. "We are thrilled to have someone of his caliber here," Mendenhall says.

For Appell, it's all about conserving, preserving and increasing the public appreciation of the history found in a graveyard. "It is next to impossible to protect an open-air museum, such as a burying ground, from all the potential causes of degradation," he said.

Weather, erosion, acid rain and local pollution and composition of original materials all can contribute to problems over the years. "Yet proper maintenance will go a long way toward helping preserve our heritage carved in stone. And techniques used for modern monuments are not always appropriate."

Over the course of the three-day workshop, students learned how to dig under foundations to straighten tilting stones; how to glue broken pieces together with a special epoxy; how sand and gravel make better fill than dirt; how sometimes a small slab must be sacrificed to stabilize and anchor the whole. Sadly, they also learned that not everything can be fixed.

"I learned a lot about taking care of old stones," said Shane Davis, who works for Ephraim city and cares for the old cemetery.

"My wife and I are sextons of the Newton cemetery," said Dan Douglas. "We learned much more here than we expected. There's no sense in doing things wrong. This should be required for every cemetery worker in the state."