An historic marble cross: before & after repair.

Woodlawn Cemetery has an on-going and perpetual responsibility to conserve the history entrusted to us. This history is embedded in the cemetery itself. It is embodied in the stone and engravings of the monuments, and it lives in the wonderful historic landscapes of the cemetery.

Historic Conservation
1 Introduction to Conservation Work at Woodlawn Cemetery
2 Conservation Is...
3 Sample Conservation Repair


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1 Introduction to Conservation Work at Woodlawn Cemetery

Although a Care & Maintenance Fund for general groundswork has been long-established, it was only in 1991 that Woodlawn Cemetery began to address the necessity for long-term funding for the care of monuments. This change in perspective accompanied alterations to the Ontario Cemeteries Act which clarified the regulation of the safety of monuments: although they remain the property of the interment rights holding family, the safety of the monuments is also the responsibility of the cemetery.

Woodlawn Cemetery is now beginning to address the decades of benign neglect by including conservation values in our widespread and ambitious monument repair projects. Given the lack of established funding, and the scope of the conservation actions required, these repairs are going to take a long time, and we could use your help: please consider volunteering or making a donation.


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2 Conservation is...

Conservation attempts to preserve historical resources in such a way that their meaning and value will remain available for future generations. Practically, this demands a combination of proactive maintenance and sensitive repairs when required.

At Woodlawn, we have to balance our interest in conservation with the necessity for safety, and with the wishes of the public, in a context of limited funding. On-going Woodlawn monument work focuses primarily on safety but attempts to conform to conservation best practices to the greatest extent possible. Restoration, which involves attempts to return objects to their initial state and appearance, is neither practicable nor desirable in a conservation context.

Conservation demands reversible repairs made without damage to the original material-- either physical or visual. The historic appearance of the object is a part of its value and meaning.

Canadian conservation values are outlined in the Appleton Charter. This document is based on the international agreement The Venice Charter which outlines worldwide conservation principles.


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Conservation Techniques

Many of the historic monuments of Woodlawn are composed of limestone or marble. These stones are unlike the granites which are popular today: they are much softer and more permeable, and are generally more vulnerable to weathering and pollution.

Repairs to limestone and marble require very different techniques from those currently standard in the granite-centred monument industry. For example, limestone and marble joints should be sealed with lime mortar instead of epoxies and Portland cement. Lime mortar joints allow the water in the stone to move naturally through the entire structure, and concentrate weathering damage in the mortar itself, rather than in the historic stone. Impearmeable sealants, like cement and epoxy, stop water movement through the stone, and so act to concentrate weathering damage in the adjoining stone: this could lead to new failures near the line of the joint or repair.

Information on the advantages of using proper historic lime techniques is available from the Scottish Lime Centre. Specific repair techniques are available through the Ontario government publication: Landscapes of Memories. Further information is available throughout this Historic Monument Care website, and also by following our Conservation and Monument Care Links.



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Sample Conservation Repair

Despite its small size, this monument was found to be one of the most dangerous in Woodlawn during the first Safety Survey in 1998. It was laid down immediately. The tablet and top-base were then labelled and removed to the cemetery workshop for storage.
Photo: Marble Tablet 1: 1998 Safety Survey shows the state once the monument was laid down immediately for safety.

An historic marble monument, with intricate carving and full inscriptions, this monument required complex conservation repairs. At the time, these repairs were well beyond the skill level of cemetery staff. The base of the monument was levelled as a part of the 1999 Woodlawn Cemetery Marble Rescue Project, a seven-week documentation and maintenance blitz completed by four students hired under a HRDC (Human Resources Development Canada) Summer Career Placements grant .
Photo: Marble Tablet 2: Safety Removal shows the monument as it appeared from 1999 through to 2003.

A restoration lime mortar repair was completed to the top base of the monument. This work, which involved multiple stages and a long period of aftercare, was made under the supervision of Per Neumeyer, a master stonemason speciallizing in conservation work. The repair was required to ensure the long-term functioning of the top base-- excluding water penetration and accumulation in the joint below the tablet.
Photo: Marble Tablet 3: Repair of the Sub-base documents the restoration work in the Woodlawn workshop.

Final re-installation of the monument was completed in 2003. Holes were drilled in all parts of the monument, in order to install safety dowels. High quality marine stainless steel was used for the dowel pins in order to avoid future staining and deterioration damage. The pins were installed with epoxy in the lower holes (where water could accumulate), and in 'dry-mode' in the upper holes. Dry-mode involves drilling the holes to precisely the size of the pins. The effect of the safety dowelling is such that the monument cannot be simply knocked over, but it can be lifted directly up and off. This meets the requirements of safety, while meaning that the repair is reversible and can be corrected if it ever fails or requires work. Although both the drilling of holes and the use of securing epoxy do not strictly meet conservation principles, they balance the needs of safety with the conservation goals. The repair is reversible and so we feel we have followed the best practices available in this case.

The joints of the monument were sealed with a lime putty mortar. This mortar is not at all as strong as a cement compound, but acts to maintain the stability of the tablet while excluding water penetration at the joint. The mortar is, however, permeable like the marble (in fact, just slightly more permeable than the stone itself): this allows water to move naturally through the stone, while also allowing the joint to breathe. On-going natural weathering should now concentrate in the joint, and not in the historic stone. The joint is thus sacrificial: serving to reduce damage to the stone, and so preserve its historic presence and appearance.
Photo: Marble Tablet 4: Mortar Aftercare shows the monument while wrapped to keep the stone damp while carbonation of the mortar progressed.
Photo: Marble Tablet 5: Completed Repair show the final appearance: a best practices conservation and safety repair.