On June 2, Eagle Scout candidate Nicholas Dadasis and a team of Scouts began cleaning 60 headstones in the colonial section of Norfolk Cemetery. The colonial section dates back to 1745 when Wrentham established the cemetery.
Dadasis and his crew of Scouts from Troop 80 removed hundreds of years of accumulated dirt, moss and lichen from the stones, some of which were unreadable. The Scouts were trained in how to clean the gravestones by Robert Gregg from the Vine Street Cemetery Preservation Trust in Medfield. The Scouts used D2, a recently developed, water-soluble cleaner that is very effective and safe for the environment. It also does not damage the gravestones.
The cleaning process involved moistening the stones before spraying them with D2. The D2 was then allowed to soften and loosen the debris clinging to the stones. Next, the Scouts thoroughly scrubbed the stones with soft bristle brushes. Finally, the stones were gently rinsed with a spray from a hand-pumped tank.
This is the second cleaning project undertaken by Troop 80 Boy Scouts. The first project took place in 2017, and resulted in 60 cleaned headstones.
While some stones are more difficult to clean than others, the results are generally remarkable. Stop by the cemetery and see for yourself. Viewing the cemetery from Seekonk Street, the colonial section is located in the front right corner.
Issue Date:
July, 2019
Article Body: