Bridgewater Township cemetery. Photo credit: Dwight Burdette/ Wikimedia commons, CC BY 3.0

by Sara Swanson

A unique workshop is coming up in Bridgewater Saturday, June 13 from 10am to noon. Learn the do’s and don’ts of cleaning headstones and also why it matters so much to use the right materials, and to get permission before you clean. The workshop is free and will be hosted by Morgan Salzano at Bridgewater Township Hall, located at 10990 Clinton Road. No experience required, and while it is really easy to learn, the workshop is for ages 14+. Reserve your spot in the workshop at https://bit.ly/4ubQLi3.

Salzano will be demonstrating proper cleaning techniques for headstones, including what kind of soap and brushes to use and what not to do. After this, participants will go and clean pre-selected headstones until noon. She states, “Attendees should try and bring a bucket for pouring water because we only have a few we can provide. Anyone attending should wear proper clothing for the weather including closed-toed shoes, sunscreen, and hats, and bring their own drinking water. Sometimes cleaning requires kneeling down, so some may want to bring garden knee pads. They may also want gloves but none of this is required.”

Salzano graduated this year from the University of Michigan with a BA in History and an AA in Historic Preservation and was professionally trained in cemetery preservation by Dr. Thomas Henthorn.