New Volunteers Welcome When Work Restarts April 28

OLD LYME—Duck River Cemetery’s Ancient Section has become the site of a remarkable restoration project, thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers. Since September 2021, these individuals have been methodically restoring gravestones, spanning from the 17th to the 19h centuries, working to clean, straighten, excavate, reset, and mend these important records of Old Lyme’s past.

Already, the project has made a significant impact on Duck River’s Ancient Section. Inscriptions once obscured by stains and lichen are now legible, fallen or tilted headstones stand upright, and the intricate artistry of Connecticut’s early carvers can be admired once more. As of September 2023, this work has resulted in the excavation or resetting of 114 gravestones, the cleaning of 220, and the mending of 13 stones that were either broken or detached from their pedestals.

To clean the stones, volunteers delicately moisten the stone’s surface with water, gently remove the lichen with a flexible scraper, and brush away accumulated stains with a soft brush. Straightening stones requires carefully loosening and removing the surrounding dirt, then lifting and maneuvering the stone into a straight position before replacing and tamping down the dirt to secure it. Volunteers have also taken on the task of excavating buried footstones, setting them above ground to align with corresponding headstones.

Guidance from Michael Carroll of Rediscovering History has proven invaluable, particularly in repairing large, broken monuments. This intricate process involves excavating the stone’s base, resetting it to ground level, reattaching the broken portions using epoxy, and bracing them with two-by-fours to ensure proper drying.

Monthly Sunday morning work parties will resume April 28, and new volunteers are welcome to join the effort. Interested individuals are encouraged to reach out to the organizers at olcemeteryassociation@gmail.com.

The restoration endeavors at Duck River Cemetery stand as a testament to the impact of community-driven projects in preserving our history for future generations.

Learn more about the history of the cemetery at oldlymecemeteries.org.