Cemetery Preservation Workshops
Join us for workshops across the rural Maryland to learn the basic preservation techniques of caring for a cemetery.
About
Cemetery preservation workshops are now underway across the state of Maryland.
The Campaign for Historic Trades and Preservation Maryland run a series of hands-on workshops where participants learned the basic preservation techniques of caring for a cemetery. These workshops take Preservation Maryland and The Campaign out into the community, educating participants on proper preservation techniques to maintain irreplaceable history right in their own backyards. Tasks taught during the workshops include cleaning the site, maintaining landscaping, and cleaning markers. Preservation Maryland and The Campaign have or will visit Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, St. Mary’s, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester.
History of Our Work
Many Maryland cemeteries are in disrepair due to environmental factors, lack of funding, and barriers to training for those who maintain cemeteries. Land development has and still can jeopardize cemeteries, particularly smaller family plots, cemeteries in underserved areas, and connected to individuals with marginalized identities. Preservation Maryland has undertaken a variety of initiatives to support cemetery preservation throughout the state.
2018
Preservation Maryland partners with the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites in a Six-to-Fix campaign designed to bring attention to the thousands of cemeteries throughout the state in need of preservation support and instruct Marylanders about how to care for cemeteries.
2019
Preservation Maryland works with the Maryland Transport Authority and the State Highway Administration to document 100 cemeteries throughout the state.
2022
Preservation Maryland and The Campaign for Historic Trades launches the Cemetery Preservation Workshops. This series of free workshops is generously funded through a grant from Rural Maryland Council and support from those who donated to Preservation Maryland’s 2021 Save a Grave Campaign. Through these workshops, participants are introduced to the basics of cemetery preservation, including cleaning the site, maintaining landscaping, and cleaning markers.
These workshops connect us with locals in each county who are interested in learning more about the preservation process and how to care for Maryland’s history. We are excited to be out in communities across the state, helping build the next generation of preservationists and historians who can help maintain these sites into the future.
There are many ways for individuals, businesses, organizations, and philanthropic groups to support The Campaign. Find out how.