Hermann Aldermen Expected to Issue License to Brush & Palette Club, for access to cemetery.
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George Bayer’s Grave
Even in death, George Bayer was shunned by the community that he helped create. He was buried facing away from the town, and it was declared that nobody could be buried within 75 feet of his grave, which is near the southeast corner of the cemetery, on the other side of the mausoleum.
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Restoration of Hermann’s City Cemetery was the main topic at Monday's meeting of Hermann’s Board of Aldermen on, November 29, 2010.
Now that its Rotunda Restoration Project has been completed, The Brush & Palette Club had expressed a willingness to spearhead the restoration as another way to fulfill its mission--to preserve the local heritage and culture and to promote the arts.
Hermann's City Cemetery dates from the city’s beginning with one of the very early burials being George Bayer, known today as the founder of Hermann.
At a workshop Monday night, the Hermann Board of Aldermen supported the club's efforts to restore the grave markers.
The club had contacted York Cemetery Services of Clarksburg, Mo., and representatives from that company made a presentation at Monday's special city meeting.
Clancy Boots, founder of York Cemetery Services, a five-year-old company, said he has walked the Hermann city cemetery with a few members of the Brush & Palette Club and they identified 32 grave stones that were deemed dangerous and in the most need of repair.
Lois Puchta, president of the Brush & Palette Club, said the 32 stones are not all that need repairs, but would be the first phase of what is a large project. She said the grave markers are in section C of the cemetery, toward the west.
"As the Brush & Palette Club researched this, we became aware of a company that is in the business of repairing these old stones, and we contacted York," said Puchta.
Boots gave a slide show and described the type of repair he proposed for each grave stone, and tied a cost to repair each of them.
He said some of the stones have shifted, cracked into pieces, and some even had to be unearthed. He said he dug up stones that were 8 to 9 inches under the ground, and no one knew they were there.
Boots said the grave stones were made of either sandstone or marble, and the ones made of sandstone were the weakest.
"You have stones laying all over the ground up there," he said. "The longer it remains this way, the worse it is going to get."
Boots said his company repairs the old stones and sets them on a base. Rebar is used to put them back together. He said the unique design of the base eliminates the need for digging and pouring a concrete foundation under the stone. "Without a good solid base under them, you are wasting your time."
Boots said his company has fabricated special clamps and tools to do this kind of work. "We designed most of the tools we use."
He said the bases that are set under the stones resist sinking, but said, "I can't tell you what it is going to do 25-30 years down the road."
He said regardless of who does the work, it would be a costly project. Hermann's Brush & Palette Club will take the lead in a project to restore grave stones and monuments in the city cemetery that have fallen in disrepair.
"This is going to be a high-dollar job because you have a lot of rails on the graves, and you have to remove and replace them," said Boots. "The 32 stones are more of the expensive ones to repair, some of them tall monuments. It will be labor intensive."
Mrs. Puchta, who had tallied up the cost to repair the 32 stones, said the first phase would run about $14,000. She said the Brush & Palette Club would contribute $7,000 to the project, and asked for a match.
She said this is not money that has been set aside for the Rotunda project.
Puchta stated that the club will get involved in more fundraising to tackle the cemetery restoration project, like it did to help with restoring the Rotunda.
She asked the aldermen and mayor if the city would partner in the project, and Mayor Larry Miskel said the city would help in every way that it can.
Miskel asked Jim Grebing to look into possible grants through the Meramec Regional Planning Commission.
Puchta issued a challenge to the city, local citizens and businesses, to help with the project.
Dr. Chris Neale and Steve Mueller, members of the Community Foundation of Hermann also attended the meeting and supported the Brush & Palette Club's efforts. Neale said it would be possible to make fund-raising a little easier for this project.
The work will start in the spring with repairs to over 30 Head-Stones.
While the City of Hermann is charged with keeping the cemetery mowed and trimmed, the City’s Perpetual Care funds do not provide for stone and gravesite repair and maintenance.
The oldest section, known as Section D, most assuredly, has stones now buried in the soil. Those stones have likely suffered less from weathering due to the elements, but need to be uncovered and erected once again out of respect for those buried there. Broken stones are on the surface and need to be restored and re-erected.
Moving westward and down the hill Section C has many and various monuments very close together. Some are broken. Some are standing at precarious angles. Gravity has exerted its influence on copings. All are in need of attention.
Burials began in the Cemetary in the 1820's.
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Another great story! More important than car wrecks, brush fires and stupid polls!
ReplyDeleteThurston B. Howell, III