Gravestone Cleaning Workshop

Hands-on History: Caring for Farmington’s Oldest Gravestones

Along Main Street’s rise, beneath a faux-painted, sand-textured gateway that mimics the grand Egyptian Revival style of New Haven’s Grove Street Cemetery, Farmington’s earliest burying ground keeps its book of remembrance. By the time this gate was erected in the 1840s, the ground within was already nearly two centuries old and nearly full. Yet, townspeople honored their Puritan forebears with a monument that proclaimed in stark Latin: MEMENTO MORI — remember you must die. For Farmington’s founders, that admonition resounded across generations.

We invite the public to join in stewarding that record through Gravestone Cleaning Workshops at Memento Mori Cemetery, led by preservation expert Ruth Shapleigh-Brown, Executive Director of the Connecticut Gravestone Network.

Ms. Shapleigh-Brown has been involved in burial ground preservation and gravestone studies since the mid 1980's which is her passion in life.

Each workshop combines learning, live demonstration, and guided practice. Participants first gain an understanding of gravestone preservation and the vulnerabilities of Connecticut brownstone—porous, soft, and prone to flaking—and marble, once white and fine-grained, now sugared by acid rain. Under Shapleigh-Brown’s instruction, attendees watch safe cleaning methods demonstrated step by step, then practice directly on historic stones using water, soft brushes, and patient strokes.

Stanley-Whitman House gravestone cleaning workshops run from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Materials are provided. Parking is available at the Barney Library which is a short distance away from the Memento Mori Cemetery.

In 1935, Stanley-Whitman House was established as Farmington's first museum. It is a nationally recognized historic house museum and living history center that teaches through the collection, preservation, research, and dynamic interpretation of the history and culture of early Farmington, Connecticut. Programs, events, classes, and exhibits encourage visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in history by doing, acting, questioning, and engaging in colonial life and the ideas that formed the foundation of that culture.

Located in the historic village of Farmington, the museum facility centers on a circa 1720 National Historic Landmark house furnished with period antiques to reflect the everyday activities of Colonial life in Connecticut. Surrounding the house are period-raised bed gardens, an apple orchard, and heritage stone walls.

The public service areas of the museum, constructed in 2004, include a modern classroom, a period tavern room, a post-and-beam Welcome Center, a research library, an exhibit gallery, the Nancy Conklin History Gallery, and a collection storage area.

In addition to managing Memento Mori, Farmington’s ancient cemetery on Main Street, and the Village Green, located at the intersection of Routes 4 and 10, the museum also oversees the Scott Swamp Cemetery on Route 6. The Stanley-Whitman House is supported in part by the Farmington Village Green and Library Association.

At Stanley Whitman House, our commitment to accessibility is paramount. While not all of our programs are free, we strive to offer as many as possible at no cost, thanks to the generous support of our underwriters. If you wish to assist us in this mission, we welcome donations, which help us to expand further and diversify our range of activities. Your contributions play a crucial role in maintaining and increasing the accessibility of our programs.

Host or Publisher Stanley-Whitman House