© Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corpswww.northernbedrockcorps.org

PROJECT HOST: Adas Cemetery | Duluth, MN

HITCH 5.2: WEDNESDAY August 2, 8:00am – WEDNESDAY August 9, 6:30pm

TECHNICAL SPECIALIST: Ed Harthorn, Northern Bedrock Cemetery Restoration Specialist

FIELD HOURS: Corpsmember - 273.75 Technical Specialist - 13 Staff - 0

QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENTS• 32 monuments cleaned• 20 monuments reset (rough weight = 21,128 lbs)• 2 monuments repaired

ACRES OF LAND IMPROVED• 1 acre

BEST PRACTICES“During the course of resetting the monuments, we found each stone required personalized attention regarding resetting techniques. We found that monuments with large deep bases were easiest to reset if they were dug around the entire edge of the base. This allowed both pushing and prying motions with the rock bar. In some cases digging out an extra 6 inches on one side allowed us to tip out the base and level out the ground beneath. Other smaller bases, sometimes referred to as ‘floaters’, we would simply take out of the hole completely to level and pack the area with gravel. Overall, each resetting project required creativity, problem solving, and teamwork to complete.” (Comments from Laura Lippenk-Crew Member, Hitch 5.2 Hitch Report, 2017)

HITCH SUMMARYThe crew began work at the Adas Cemetery with a main goal to reset, repair, and clean monuments. At the start, Ed Harthorn gave a demonstration on how to reset a monument which included: digging out the base of the monument, using a rock bar to level the base, how to replace gravel under the base, and using a level to check accuracy. He also used the same monument to demonstrate how to reassemble a fallen monument. This included how to use the tripod, monument setting compound, epoxy, and lead spacers. Along with resetting, the crew completed a repair on a monument which had broken in half. The method used for this stone was to use only epoxy.

Overall the crew was able to work from the back of the cemetery to the front of the cemetery. Phil, the site host, wanted the crew to focus on the monuments that had completely fallen over, which he categorized as high priority. Because of this request the crew spent mot of their time resetting monuments, and only spending time cleaning the ones they had reset. Edging was not completed during this hitch, as the host completes edging each year on his own.

The crew visited the Tweed Museum after which they had a discussion that covered topics such as the place of Native Americans and women in art. Which in turn lead to discussions of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Crew members made observations that they often work in and on spaces that are dominated by white male history and influence and that we need to recognize also that these places have a longer history than their own. This includes awareness of preserving not only single narrative in history, but he multiple and intersectional narrative of our sites and work. In conclusion, the crew discussed issues of diversity in the trades industry, in particular about diversity, ethnicity, race and gender in the trades line of work. (Laura Leppink-Crew Member, Hitch 5.2 Hitch Report, 2017)

2017 PROJECT REPORT

© Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corpswww.northernbedrockcorps.org

Before

Before

Before

After

After

After

CLEANING:• Saturated stones with water, then

applied a solution of D2• Scraped off heavy lichen with plastic

putty knives• Scrubbed the stones with soft-bristle

brushes to remove bio-growth• Removed lichen form engraved

lettering using bamboo skewers• Rinsed the stones thoroughly with

water

RESETTING:• Leveled and straightened the lower

base using heavy-duty pry bars• Prepared and cleaned the paired

surfaces that were being joined, then applied epoxy

• Placed lead spacers near each corner of the lower paired surface

• Set strips of monument setting compound near the corners of the lower paired surface

• Used tripod and hoist as needed to lift the upper section(s) of the stone onto the base

• Trimmed excess monument setting compound pressed out by the weight

REPAIR:• Cleaned the gaps to remove as much

staining and bio-growth as possible• For more structural repairs, mixed and

applied a stone-grade epoxy• Mixed sand, water, and natural

hydraulic lime to create a stone compatible mortar

• Applied mortar to the gaps using margin trowels and tuck pointers and allowed to cure

TECHNICAL PROCESSES/TASKS COMPLETED2017 PROJECT REPORT