Jonathan Appell (Photo – Altadena Good Cemeterians)
Jonathan Appell, the man who restored the oldest-known grave marker in the United States, will lead a free, day-long event to instruct members of the public on best practices of headstone cleaning and repair, on Wednesday, June 26.
By News Desk
Appell, a noted historic preservationist based in Connecticut, has spent over a decade of summers travelling the contiguous United States. He is the “Rock Star” of graveyard saving, and he will bring his “48-State Tour” to Altadena, in his first foray into Southern California. Appell will be accompanied by a videographer, who is creating a documentary of the long-running tour.
“Jonathon’s like a rock star in headstone circles,” said René Amy, leader of Altadena’s local group of volunteer “Good Cemeterians,” who arranged for Appell’s appearance. “I’m really looking forward to meeting John and leaning from him — he’s a true expert!”
The event, hosted by Altadena’s Mountain View Cemetery, is free, although pre-registration is highly encouraged.
In the morning, Appell will provide historic background regarding cemeteries in this country, and best-practice techniques for cleaning and preserving headstones. Attendees will have the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and clean actual headstones, following his instructions. After a luncheon hosted by the Cemetery, Appell will demonstrate headstone repair and restoration techniques on headstones in the Cemetery.
Val Zavala, president of Altadena Heritage, pointed out that the Cemetery was established several years before Altadena was founded – and served as Pasadena’s “local” graveyard, because no cemetery was allowed within that city’s boundaries. “Back then, what’s now a lush, verdant community full of creative people, was viewed as a wasteland – and the best place for a cemetery,” Zavala remarked.
Veronica Jones, president of the Altadena Historical Society, mentioned that some of the Pasadena area’s most-notable residents are buried in the Cemetery. “From the final resting place of Thaddeus S.C. Lowe, who led Union balloon espionage during the Civil War and later built the world-famous “White City in the Sky” in our local mountains, to that of Nobel-laureate physicist Richard Feynman, who was part of the Manhattan Project, every step taken in the cemetery is a literal walk through our area’s — and our nation’s –history!”
Appell’s presentation is part of a duo of events celebrating the 1,000th-headstone milestone of Altadena’s own local group of “Good Cemeterians,” who meet monthly for a morning of cleaning headstones. The group focuses on the markers of military vets, young children, and loves lost too soon. The Cemetery is the final resting place of over 700 U.S. Civil War vets, and the group has cleaned over 100 of those to date.
The event is supported by donations from a raft of Altadena organizations, including the Altadena Rotary Club, the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, Altadena Heritage, the Pasadena Cemetery Association, the Pasadena/Altadena Aerie of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Altadena Historical Society, and the Christmas Tree Lane Association.
The free event begins at 9:00 am and concludes at 3:00 pm on June 26th. Tickets and information are available at this link.
Repairing a headstone (Photo – Altadena Good Cemeterians)
Headstone Cleaning & Preservation Wednesday, June 26 11:00 am Location Mountain View Cemetery 2400 N. Fair Oaks Avenue Altadena, CA 91001 Free Lunch. Wear a hat and bring a water bottle. Click for tickets.
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