The following is part of a report submitted on behalf of our church to the NJ Historic Trust. We print it here so that our readers may receive first-hand information on the developments in our old cemetery. We have much reason to be grateful for the wonderful work that Christine and her students undertake.
Christine Miller Cruiess, a part-time lecturer at Rutgers, will be leading a field school in the Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies Program (CHAPS). The goal of the field school is two-fold. First, the students will conduct a conditions assessment that will inform a Preservation Plan for the cemetery, following the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office’s Historic Structure Reports and Preservation Plans. The preservation plan for the site will be heavily informed by students’ work during the Spring 2010 term, the pre-requisite course for the field school. During the Spring 2010 term, the students completed archival research on the cemetery and those interred there, research into the materials in the cemetery, research into different conservation methods and techniques that conform to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, and a survey form and glossary to document the current conditions of each individual grave marker in the cemetery. The preservation plan will build upon the students’ previous work and create a prioritized treatment plan for the treatment of the entire cemetery site.
The second goal of the course will be comprised on a pilot implementation program where students will gain hands-on experience completing conservation treatments. The students will be supervised by two conservators who have extensive experience in outdoor monument and cemetery conservation (resumes available upon request). In summary, the proposed conservation treatments will include:
- Cleaning grave markers with D/2 (available from Cathedral Stone), an architectural antimicrobial.
- Repairing breaks in sandstone and marble markers using a structural epoxy.
- Repointing cracks and joints in grave markers using a lime-based mortar for marble markers and using a Jahn Patching mortar (available from Cathedral Stone) for repairing sandstone markers.
- Injection grouting delaminations in sandstone using a grout with water, lime, silica micro-balloons, and a fine silica sand.
- Resetting markers with proper alignment.
All treatments will conform with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.
Hello, Thank you for the interesting information on restoring the 1st Dutch Reformed Church’s graveyard.
I am very interested because my great-great grandfather, John Clark Voorhees and his wife Mary M. (Walling) Voorhees (1842-1910) are buried there. John Clark was a sexton of the church for many years and died Jan 23, 1918 The obituary I have of their son, Charles Steele Voorhees states he died of a heart attack after climbing over the back fence of the cemetery to put flowers on his parent’s graves. For this reason, I am fairly certain the graves are along the back fence, perhaps near the driveway that runs there? However, while I have been there a few times, I haven’t been able to find the graves. If, by any chance, during the restoration you have found them, well I would certainly love to know about this.
Also, I wonder if you would know if, possibly John Clark’s mother, Ann Eliza (Sleght or Sleight) Voorhees (1808-1888)was also buried there? Please be aware that there is another Ann Eliza Voorhees who married Barent Voorhees. I have found that grave in your cemetery but I know that is not my ancestor.
Any help you could give me would be very much appreciated. And, if you are interested in John Clark at all given his role in the church, I do have some information on him I would be happy to share. Thank you very much, Virginia