Honoring Life, Preserving History
Expert headstone and monument cleaning, repair, and restoration services
Honoring Life, Preserving History
Expert headstone and monument cleaning, repair, and restoration services
Our Philosophy
At Gravestone Guardians, we believe every gravestone tells a story worth preserving. These monuments are more than markers of lives once lived. They are tangible connections to our shared history, reflections of generations past, and irreplaceable pieces of our cultural heritage. Our responsibility is not to make them new again, but to help ensure they endure for generations to come.
Our guiding principle is simple: Do No Harm. We approach every preservation effort with respect for the monument, its history, and the people it commemorates. We prioritize the retention of original materials, historic character, and long-term stability, recognizing that the least invasive approach is often the most appropriate.
We believe there is no one-size-fits-all solution to cemetery preservation. Every monument is unique, and effective conservation requires careful assessment, sound judgment, and an understanding that no single technique or material is appropriate for every situation.
Our practices are informed by established preservation standards, research, and the collective experience of respected preservationists. We recognize that preservation is an evolving discipline, and we remain committed to learning, collaboration, and open-minded consideration of new information and differing perspectives.
Preservation also extends beyond the physical care of gravestones. Through documentation, education, and community involvement, we strive to inspire others to recognize, appreciate, and protect our shared history.
Above all, we believe that good preservation is measured not by how dramatically a monument is transformed, but by how responsibly its history is protected.
We are not simply caring for old stones. We are preserving history, honoring lives, and safeguarding their stories for future generations.
About Us
Dave & Jenny
David and Jenny have been involved in headstone and cemetery preservation since 2018.
Their interest stems from their love of family history and genealogy work, including their work photographing headstones for BillionGraves. Together, they have documented over 180,000 headstones in 400+ cemeteries in three countries. As they traveled the world photographing, they inevitably encountered headstones that were often illegible or hard to document because the stones needed cleaning or simple resetting.
Jenny descends from two notable Mayflower passengers: William Bradford and William Brewster. David's first American ancestor arrived on the Shawmut Peninsula, later known as Boston, in 1635. Together, they share a deep love and reverence for their ancestors and is one of the driving motivators in their efforts to preserve headstone history.
Collectively, Gravestone Guardians has cleaned or supervised the cleaning of over 3,800 headstones, ranging from the 18th century to the present. We have worked with every type of stone: granite, limestone, marble, sandstone, and slate.
Since relocating to Massachusetts in 2023, David and Jenny have dedicated their time and expertise to cemetery preservation projects throughout the Northeast. In Saugerties, New York, their efforts include Finger Ground, Saint Mary of the Snow graveyard, Katsbaan Cemetery, and Blue Mountain Cemetery. Their work also extends to North, Scott, and Center Cemeteries in Bellingham; Lakeview Cemetery in Upton; Sheldonville Cemetery in Wrentham; West Wrentham Cemetery in West Wrentham; and Pine Grove Cemetery in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. Beyond Massachusetts, their projects include the Old Burying Ground in Winsted, Connecticut, and Pelham Center Cemetery in Pelham, New Hampshire.
These efforts encompass a wide range of preservation activities, from careful cleaning, documentation, and resetting of historic gravestones to complex repairs and stabilization of multi-piece monuments, all guided by a commitment to responsible conservation and the protection of our shared history.
🪦 Bring History Back to Life!
Every broken headstone tells a story waiting to be remembered—and your donation makes it possible. With your support, we can clean, repair, and reset these markers of the past—one headstone at a time.
👉 Donate today and become a guardian of history.