Carl Toko uses a soft-bristled brush on the grave of James F. Miller in the Center Cemetery in New Ipswich. It’s the gravestone of the son of the famous Gen. James Miller, hero of the War of 1812, whose name has been memorialized locally by Miller State Park and Miller Highway. Until a few hours before, the name was all but unreadable, covered in black stains and lichen growth.
Dipped in a solution of D/2 Biological Solution – the same substance used to clean national monuments and the White House — the brush is removing decades, even centuries, of stains, leaving the gravestone a stunning white, a stark contrast to its neighbors, whose slabs still show the ravages of time.
Miller’s gravestone is one of about 70 that Toko and Kim Black, both residents of New Ipswich, have cleaned since last spring, when they set out on a project to bring some of the town’s oldest and dirtiest stones back to life. They can easily be picked out when looking over the gravesites – bright, white markers next to neighbors that are dark gray or even black with stains.
This week, Black, a member of the New Ipswich Historical Society, is hosting a talk at the New Ipswich Library Thursday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. on their method, and the rules around cleaning gravestones, for those that want to know how to care for their own family’s stones or join Black and Toko in their volunteer efforts.
Toko said there are rules for cleaning gravestones. Under New Hampshire law, an individual or organization who is interested in caring for a burial ground which has not been maintained, and whose owner is unknown, must first petition the Select Board or Cemetery Trustees for permission to clean, maintain or restore it, at their own expense. If that approval is granted, the person must attempt to notify anyone who might object through a newspaper notice.
The grave-cleaning project has become a collaboration, Black said, between Toko and Black as volunteers, the Cemetery Trustees and the town, which has provided the cleaning supplies, which can be costly, particularly the cleaning solution, which is specialized to reduce damage to stone and contains no bleach or acids.
But the idea started just with two people who wanted to make a difference.
Toko, a resident of New Ipswich’s Smithville village, said he would often walk by the South Cemetery, a short distance from his home, and said the condition of some of the stones, particularly the oldest stones which may not be maintained by family anymore, struck him.
“It’s just sad when you can’t see the names on the stones, anymore,” Toko said.
It was a sentiment shared by Black, who moved to New Ipswich three years ago. She said she has always had a special place in her heart for cemeteries, particularly the cemeteries in New England, which are among the oldest in the country. She said she is particularly interested in seeing the stones in the town’s oldest cemetery, Porter Hill Cemetery, cleaned and their history revived.
Black, a member of the New Ipswich Historical Society, said she was interested in researching some of the people buried in town, and also noticed the condition of some of the graves, some of which had inscriptions that were no longer visible or nearly readable.
“They just needed to be addressed,” Black said. “It also preserves some history that otherwise would be lost. Every stone we have touched has an interesting story to tell.”
So, Toko and Black, who are neighbors, set out to do just that. Since the spring of 2021, the pair has been making the rounds at Porter Hill, Center and South cemeteries, either getting permission from family members or identifying stones without any identifiable descendants to clean.
Toko said his favorites are veterans’ markers.
“Those are especially important to me. Veterans should be noticed, and you should be able to read their names,” Toko said.
For Black, her heart often lies with women and children. Often, she said, birth and death dates are the only information historically preserved about women, and she wants to make sure that they’re given extra attention. She also likes to work on the “oldest, dirtiest,” stones she can find.
“These folks have been forgotten,” Black said. “We need to honor the dead, and take care of the community, and this is something that does both.”
Often, Black said, they uncover little gems when cleaning. They found one stone with a misspelling, which was later edited. And sometimes, they come across an interesting epitaph, such as OrpahFidella’s, which simply reads “Watch.” Black said when she comes across those, she can’t help but imagine the story behind them. Perhaps Fidella didn’t like to be told no, and would often respond with something like “Watch me.” Another, according to Toko, simply said, “Gone walking.”
Each stone is a labor of love – the average stone takes about five hours of work to get completely clean, Black said. They are careful to use specialized tools, along with the D/2 Biological solution. There are no wire bristles allowed, or some synthetics that could leave scratches in the stone. The tools wear out quickly, but leave the stones in good condition, Black said.
The library talk June 23, sponsored by the New Ipswich Historical Society, will include recent photographs of Toko’s and Kim’s work on historic grave markers in New Ipswich’s oldest public cemetery on Porter Hill. People can attend at the library or by Zoom. For the Zoom link, go to the society’s website at newipswichhistoricalsociety.org.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.