MONUMENTS AS CULTURAL STATEMENTS

The Mt. Tabor – Danby Historical Society presents a program on grave markers as cultural statements. It begins with a potluck picnic lunch at the Scottsville Cemetery, which is at the corner of US 7 and Scottsville Road in Danby. This is about 5 miles south of South Wallingford on US 7.

The presenter will be Shawn Holden, who owns and operates Holden Memorials in Clarendon. After lunch, he will talk about the new engraving process for images. He will bring samples of etchings on granite and some rubber stencils with lettering that are placed on stones to produce sandblasted lettering. Shawn will describe working with people about ideas they would like on their monuments, such as animals, buildings, vehicles, and likenesses.

The talk will be followed by a tour of the Scottsville Cemetery on U. S. 7. It will begin with monuments from the Gilded Age where the thinking was "bigger is better" – the thinking that led to building the RMS Titanic. It is exemplified by the size of the BOND block of marble and the size of the Silas L. Griffith monument. Next will be the "mid-century modern" BELDEN monument which almost looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright creation. The tour will end with the evolution of modern engraving where actual photographic portraits can be emblazoned in granite and images of people's interests and hobbies carved in stone with color.

For more information, calll Bradley Bender at 802-293-5160 or email wallacad@vermontel.net.