Snapshots: The soldier

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Fall City Cemetery

Pacific Northwest cemeteries have a wide variety of military markers for every conflict since the Civil War. Sometimes, the smaller cemeteries are those with the greatest number of veterans.

Take George Kelley, one of the integral founders of Fall City, WA.

According to Jack’s History of Fall City, George Kelley was part of Company 1, 64th regiment of the Illinois Volunteers. This regiment saw first-hand action at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, the siege of Atlanta and Sherman’s March to the Sea, an infamous campaign that began with Sherman’s troops leaving Atlanta, Georgia on November 15 and ending with the capture of the port of Savannah on December 21.

Kelley later participated in a military Grand Review in front of President Lincoln.

Hands-on preservation

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Before

Knowing how to properly restore vandalized headstones is a primary concern for those caring for older cemeteries. However, finding the right instructor can be a challenge. This past summer, Todd Scott, Preservation Architect for the King County Historic Preservation Program, attended a hands-on conservation workshop taught by Jonathan Appell.

Recently, Beyond The Ghosts… caught up with Todd to find out more.

Question: Your title is Preservation Architect. What does a Preservation Architect do?

Answer:

I’m primarily involved with two Historic Preservation Program activities:

First, I work directly with property owners and/or contractors on various preservation projects involving King County landmarks. This can also include reviewing and recommending various preservation project proposal requests to the Landmarks Commission. 

Second, I provide technical assistance and education to historic property owners who want to know how best to maintain their sites. I’ll also handle questions from people wanting to preserve historic resources that aren’t necessarily a designated landmark.

Question: Tell us about cemetery preservation conference you attended in August?

Answer:

Sure. This past August, I attended a regional headstone conservation and repair workshop in Coos Bay, Oregon. It was co-hosted by Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery and the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries. Jonathan Appell was the speaker.

Cleaning

Question: What was it about?