Friends of the Evangelical Protestant Cemetery, Albany, NY: July Update

During the month of July much was accomplished at the Evangelical Protestant Cemetery. The goal for this season is to complete the rehab of the last two remaining plots on the far left side of the cemetery and to also upright and level all of the gravestones on the far right section of the cemetery. This will leave the center portion of the cemetery to be addressed next year.

Work is long underway on the right side where we are working from the front to the back. Many stones have been rehabbed also. Two Facebook live videos of three gravestones that needed work were created. Video one can be found here and video two is found here. In order to view the videos you might need to have a Facebook account and be logged in.

Last Sunday a project was undertaken by Brian, one of my partners-in-crime, who has been helping with the cemetery restoration. He put together a small team of helpers who tackled the overgrown hilly area in the center of the cemetery. They did not just tackle the area. They sacked it! The area was overgrown with miscellaneous vines, scrub-brush, lilies, and sumac trees.

The area looks barren presently; but give it time. By the end of the Summer if no additional work is done the area will be quickly covered in scrub-brush again. I am looking for suggestions as to what might be able to be planted there which would regrow each year and not get out of control such as the growth which was recently removed. Perhaps some kind of wild flowers?

Below is a series of photos of the work that Brian and crew completed. On Saturday I went to the cemetery and did some prep work and knock down much of what was growing. However it was the team who came in the next day and removed and cleaned up the area who need kudos for their work! Thank you!!!