For the past two months, Alan Haines has been cleaning, restoring, and, when possible, repairing the 19th century tombstones and monuments around the perimeter of the church.
Over the years, environmental grime and biological growths like moss, lichens and mold have disfigured the monuments—discoloring them and making them difficult to interpret and read. As the name of his company implies (No Pressure Tombstone Cleaning), this work involves quite a bit of water, environmentally safe cleaning solution, and a lot of scrubbing. It does not involve pressure washing or bleaching.
Alan was recommended to St. John’s by the cemetery administrator at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Norfolk.
Originally published in St. John’s Newsletter, September 2019.