What we’re about
We will clean historic gravestones in and around Lexington, Virginia and Rockbridge County as a public service at no cost.
We use a cleaning product called D2, a non-toxic fungicide that is ph neutral and does no harm to the stones. D2 is the agent used to clean gravestones in US military cemeteries.
The D2 costs about $50 a gallon. While there is no fee for membership or participation in this group, we do need to raise money through donations to sustain our work.
personal check to:
James River Hikers
c/o Dennis Bussey
160 Kendal Drive, Cottage 1008
Lexington, VA 24450
This YouTube video describes the process we'll follow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Oz3Ar2mM1s
Everything will be provided including gloves but you may want to bring your own. A step ladder will be helpful for taller stones if you have one.
This project will be led by Dennis Bussey who has performed similar Meetups over 55 times at Richmond Virginia's Shockoe Hill Cemetery.
The link below provides more information about the cemetery and includes this statement:
"Shockoe Hill Cemetery is the final resting place of many famous people. These include Revolutionary War hero Peter Francisco, Chief Justice John Marshall, and Union Spy Elizabeth Van Lew to name a few. Intermingled with them are the elite, the working class, and the poor."
https://shockoehillcemetery.org/our-residents/
Here is a representative example of one of those Meetups performed by James River Hikers - Hiking with History.
# Nov. 29, 2 pm: Restore Gravestones at Shockoe Hill Cemetery #42
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- May 19, 9 am: Clean 11 headstones at Bethel Presbyterian ChurchBethel Presbyterian Church, middlebrook, VA
Family member Linda from California, cell # 661 510 8031, requested I clean 11 family headstones at Bethel Presbyterian Church.
Assistant Cemetery Manager - Charlie Johnson - charlieboone1957@gmail.com - 540.292.0189 assisted in locating the headstones and granted permission from the church to clean them.
