ANDOVER-Keep your eyes peeled as you go by Lakeview Cemetery in East Andover. A group of volunteers have been hard at work in this summer’s heat scrubbing years of dirt, lichen, and moss off the stones in the oldest part of the cemetery. Over the last two months a good-sized area has grown that contains gleaming white stones!

We would love to have you join us! This volunteer activity gets you outside, gives you an arm workout, and is fun. We have met new people too. And it’s easy!  

We spray the stones with water, then use a soft brush to scrub away the water. It’s amazing how much dirt disappears and we are able to read the inscription on the stones! Last, we spray with D2, a biodegradable solution, which will turn the stones an orange-red for a few weeks. Before you know it, the stones are white.

Why do we clean the stones and remove the rich growth of various mosses, lichen, and other things? The growth obscures the name and information engraved on the stone, as well as traps moisture, causing some deterioration of the gravestone. More and more people are searching for relatives and this makes it easier for all to find the correct grave sites.

We are meeting at Lakeview and working from 8 AM to 11 AM. People come and go as their schedule permits. We appreciate any assistance for as long as you have time.  

Our tentative schedule for September is for gravestone cleaning on September 7, 11, 14, 18, 25, and 28, as weather permits. More information will be posted on the Friends of Andover Facebook page. We hope you consider joining us!