A centrally located brownstone monument is dedicated to the town’s first minister, Reverend John Woodbridge, who died in 1718. This monument was erected in 1852 by the descendants of his parishioners and replaced the original stone that had become badly deteriorated.
The tornado of 2011 caused excessive damage to many headstones including the monument for Reverend Woodbridge and two sandstone ledger tables. All of the stones in the cemetery are Connecticut sandstone. A total of 25 headstones are being treated for various damage, including the replacement of a sandstone leg for one of the table ledgers. The monument has a large piece that has delaminated and is being structurally reattached. This project is a Mass Historical Commission project and is funded in part by FEMA, The Town of West Springfield and Mass Historical Commission. This project is scheduled to be completed by May 1, 2012. |
AFFILIATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Association for Gravestone Studies - Board of Directors, Chair of Conservation Committee 2005-2011 New Salem Historical Commission - Board of Directors New Salem Cemetery Commission - Chair, Board of Directors Friends of Historic New Salem – Board of Directors American Institute of Conservation - Member Stone Foundation - Member Preservation Trade Network - Member National Trust for Historic Preservation - Member Cathedral Stone Certification Program Certified Jahn Products Technician National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Parks Service Certified Monument Conservation Certified Cemetery Landscape Management |