Robert Mosko dba Mosko Cemetery Monument Services from Hanover PA was contracted by St. George’s to “conserve, preserve, restore” two of the earliest graves, John Jones and Winefrid Ritchardson.
He was recommended by St. George’s parishioners Brenda Hynson and Regina Moriarty. The two began working on the graveyard in 2017, forming a group and researching what conservation had been done. Their backgrounds are with the National Park Service. They purchased A Graveyard Preservation Primer by Lynette Strangstad, a standard in the field, and went to a graveyard conference in NC in 2019. They made a Vestry presentation in July, 2019.
They created an assessment on stone, the size and condition of each stone and implemented weekly inspections. They are clearing 30-40 stones a year, eliminating bird waste and grass clippings. They completed 90 stones in 2017-2018. Additionally, they have straightened at least 11 stones.
Jones’ grave is the oldest surviving headstone 1752 in St. George’s graveyard. It has little information on it except his name and date of death. He owned a tavern in the Scottish part of town west of St. George’s at the intersection of Amelia and Caroline Streets. His widow continued the tavern after his death. It was later a meeting place for the masons.
We know little about Winefrid Ritchardson except she died in 1763 at age 23 and had a husband, Daniel. There are also 3 children assumed to be in the grave. The following poignant saying is on the grave. “Remember man as you pass by So you are now so once was I So as I am so must you be. Therefore prepare to follow me.”
Mosko described his work in his proposal. “Both gravestones appear to be simple, sandstone tablets, that presented with delamination and severe spalling with in the middle or mid-drift, at the back of the tablets themselves.” Sandstone along with marble was the primary stone of graves from the 1650’s until the 1850’s . It was durable but could be easily carved. But it was subject to damage by the elements.
Spalling are the fissures or cracks that appear on these graves. Delamination occurs when moisture gets between the layers of the sandstone. As it freezes and expands the layers flake off. The tops of the graves are open to moisture which if it freezes could break the surfaces. This is shown in Jones’ grave before the work.
A similar situation with Ritchardson:
“Moderate excavation will need to be performed in order to adequately determine if totally extracting the stone from out of the ground would be appropriate or not. Regardless, all friable areas of the stone that is spalling should be removed until a more sound, solid, and stable substrate is exposed.” Ritchardson’s grave had to be moved forward since it was too close to the graveyard wall for work.
“Once the substrate is stable, a lime based mortar, appropriate for sandstone and color matched to the existing the stone, will be allied and built up to match the existing contours of the stones. The process could take up to three days to complete.”
Mosko’s work to secure the seams:
Mosko’s work on the exterior of John Jones
After three+ days on site, here is a before and after with John Jones:
The same with Winefrid Ritchardson:
Here is a focus on the front and top, before and after of Winifred Ritchardson:
Repair projects often yield unexpected discoveries. Here was a bone found in the process. More work is needed to determine if it is human or animal:
