Museum Director Jessica Gorman advocates for preserving historical cemeteries
The Dorcheat Museum’s recent Night at the Museum event, held on April 15, featured a compelling talk by Museum Director Jessica Gorman on the critical topic of cemetery preservation. Gorman, a passionate advocate for historical preservation, emphasized the importance of maintaining and repairing cemeteries for future generations, highlighting their role as records of our past.
Gorman’s interest in cemetery preservation began long before the pandemic, but it was during the lockdowns of 2020 that she found the time to start pursuing this interest in earnest. Starting with the cleaning of headstones in the Minden Cemetery of her own family in Webster Parish, Gorman gradually expanded her efforts to other parishes and states.
Attending workshops on cemetery preservation and repair in 2021, including the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation’s headstone cleaning workshop and the Atlas Preservation 48 State Tour cleaning and repair workshop, Gorman honed her skills. In 2022, she put these skills to work by repairing the Loye family plot at the Minden Cemetery, highlighting the need for such interventions, especially in cases where families no longer exist to care for their graves.
Gorman emphasized several key principles for caring for headstones, including getting permission first, avoiding contacting stone with metal, using only approved solutions like the D/2 Biological Solution, and seeking expert help for repairing broken stones. She underscored the challenges faced by many cemeteries, which often lack sufficient funding for anything beyond basic maintenance like mowing.
Looking ahead, Gorman expressed the need for more people to become involved in cemetery preservation efforts. She invited those interested in learning more to attend the upcoming 48 State Tour workshops in Natchitoches on June 17, which will focus on preserving local cemeteries. More information can be found at 48statetour.com.
Gorman emphasized, “Cemeteries are a cultural resource. Cemeteries record the history of a place. They are also a source of genealogical information. In the case of children, for some of them, their grave is the only record that they ever existed. Caring for cemeteries is part of the cultural well-being of a community.”
“In order to provide the care [that cemeteries need], we’ve got to get people who want to be involved, who are willing to educate themselves, and who will actually get out there and do the work,” said Gorman.
For those interested in assisting Gorman in her volunteer efforts, she welcomes individuals joining her in this vital work of preserving historical records for future generations.
