The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program will host two free cemetery preservation workshops this October in the towns of Prescott and Lamar, Arkansas.

On Saturday, October 8, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the first cemetery preservation workshop will be held near Prescott, Arkansas, at the Moscow Cemetery located at the junction of Nevada County Roads 23 and 260.  James “Rusty” Brenner of Cemetery Preservation Supply LLC (on Facebook here) and Texas Cemetery Restoration LLC (on Facebook here) will lead the hands-on workshop and cover topics including cleaning, repairing, resetting, and leveling gravestones as well as information on suitable cleaning products and preservation techniques.  In addition, Dr. Victor Ford, director of the Southwest Research and Extension Service in Hope, will speak during the lunch hour on the topic of eliminating privet hedges, an invasive, non-native plant that is all too common in Arkansas.

Moscow Cemetery, Prescott, AR

In addition, on Saturday, October 15, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., a cemetery preservation workshop will be held at Brown Cemetery on Arkansas Highway 359, near Lamar, Arkansas. Monuments conservator, Jonathan Appell, will lead the workshop.  In addition, Appell will also speak on cemetery preservation at the Johnson County Historical Society at 131 Main Street in Clarksville at 6 p.m. on Friday, October 14, 2016.

Registration is limited to 40 people per workshop, and lunch will be provided.  Participants are encouraged to bring knee pads, gloves and hats.

To register for a workshop, or for more information, contact Holly Hope at (501) 324-9880, snail mail Holly at 1100 North Street, Little Rock, AR 72201, or send an e-mail message to Holly at holly.hope@arkansas.gov.

The AHPP is the Department of Arkansas Heritage agency responsible for identifying, evaluating, registering, and preserving Arkansas’ cultural resources.  You can find the AHPP on Facebook here.