Mount Hope Cemetery

During the 19th Century a new phenomena of recreational activity was introduced in the form of the rural cemetery.  The First of these "pleasure grounds" was established in 1838 at Mount Auburn in Boston, MA.  Unlike existing burial sites such as churchyards and graveyards, the rural cemetery was located within a particularly picturesque landscape surrounded with natural formations such as ponds and hills that created an atmospheric effect on the burial ground.  The rural cemetery eclipsed the function of small graveyards by providing a cultural impact in its location; rural cemeteries became places of interest and leisure within their respective regions.

The Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester was a response in growth not only in the popularity of rural cemeteries themselves, but of the increasing population of the city.  With the sudden rise in population from 1,000 villagers to 10,000 townspeople between 1817-1834, potential health risks became as much of a driving factor to the creation of a suitable burial ground as the economic impact incorporating a rural cemetery could bring. [1] In 1838 the Mount Hope Cemetery was officially opened, consisting of 196 acres of land on the outskirts of the city of Rochester, and became a notable landmark for Western New York.   Through it's over 150 years of service to the city of Rochester, over 325,000 burials have been held within the gates of the Mount Hope Cemetery.

The Archer Family Monument

Over a century and a half has passed since the creation of the Mount Hope Cemetery, and during this time the material composition of the monuments erected there have changed in accordance to trends, wealth, and available materials.  While limestone was the predominant material used in the creation of headstones in the early 19th century, the late 1800s saw exponential growth in the industry of granite, especially in the Northeastern United States. [2]  Granite, an igneous rock, became the stone of choice for the creation of monuments due to its hardness, resistance to weathering, ability to be polished, and overall availability during this period.  Due to this boom in popularity, granite headstone and monuments began appearing throughout Mount Hope, scattered amongst limestone and marble monuments that had passed trend similarly.  

One granite monument that has stood a considerable test of time, and remained stalwart through the tumultuous weather changes that exist in upstate New York, would be that of the Archer family's monument located in plot 30 of area B near the southeastern side of Mount Hope.

This monument has withstood a considerable amount of deterioration, but remains solid in its foundation and inscriptions. The distinctive red granite sets the monument apart from the rest of the headstones in the plot, as well as the environmental damage which has occurred around it.  The monument rests on a concrete base which was placed to support it.  The West face of the monument holds the names of John, his wife Elizabeth, and their daughter Emma who had died prematurely as a child.  John himself died of natural causes, and his wife Elizabeth from cancer. ???[3] The South side of the monument is reserved for John's sister Elizabeth, who passed due to a respiratory illness. Her husband, P.B. Dedrick, has his named inscribed on the East side of the monument, and died from cystitis. There is no particular iconography throughout the entirety of the monument, with the exception of a sole crest located on the sister's side:

though it is not as deeply engraved, and therefore more severely weathered than the rest of the print on the monument, the crest appears to actually contain letters that spell out Elizabeth's initials (E.A.).

Deterioration

The most noticeable area of concern for the monument is actually the area surrounding it.  The way the monument runs perpendicular to the hill on its East side actually creates the sense that the hill at one point extended further, but was worn or disturbed in order to create such a sharp drop.  The existence of the concrete support also suggests that the monument was, at one point, not particularly stable due to some form of shift in the earth it was mounted on.  Superficial scarring is present on certain corners of the monument from slight chips that could be the result of any kind of physical disturbance to the monument.  The most evident form of deterioration on the monument itself is the build up of a gypsum crust that is present underneath the arches of the monument's head.  This crust is a result of the reaction of moisture, salt and the quartz found within stone such as granite.  This black build-up is present mainly on the south and east sides of the monument, which also are exposed to the elements more often and receive less sunlight than the other sides. It is also particularly noticeable on certain letters of the inscription at the base of the monument.  This creates the perfect conditions for this type of reaction, as well as for lichens and mold to grow, which are also present underneath the head's arch.  The white streaking which occurs along the the blackened areas is the result of calcium deposits created by water that has frozen to the monument.

Given its current status, the salt damage, calcium damage and mold growth on the monument is the most evident threat to its longevity. If left untreated, the mold growth will expand further over the more shaded sides of the monument, and the salt damage will continue to "drip" down the sides of the monument causing further streaking and impregnation of the surface.  Fortunately, cleaning of the stone, which can be performed with a scrubbing with a non-ionic soap, can help stem the tide of these particular forms of deterioration.  Granite is also more durable than limestone and marble, making it easier to scrub away build-ups such as these during the cleaning process; the hardness of granite means more pressure can be exerted onto it allowing for pressure cleaning on certain areas. ?[4] Since the constantly fluctuating conditions of weather in the region cannot be predicted, it is inevitable by the design of the monument that it will remain a target for mold and salt damage due to the retaining of moisture.