WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Years of wear and tear have taken a toll on the Wilkes-Barre City Cemetery along North River Street, leaving rows of toppled stones.
But all it takes is a little elbow grease to bring these gravesites to their former glory.
"We have Revolutionary War veterans buried here in our whole area. I don't think many people understand we go back to the beginning of our country," said Harry Haas, a history teacher in the Dallas School District.
Despite the heat, Haas came out to learn how to make these stones shine.
"This one, until recently, was in really rough shape, but a lot of caring people came out and helped preserve some history."
Gravestone restoration expert Jonathan Appell explains how to safely restore even the oldest headstones. It's part of his 48-state tour.
He says Luzerne County has advanced wear and tear on these sites compared to other parts of the country, thanks to our area's industrial ties.
"Not so much from current times, but from the historic manufacturing industry that was here," Appell said.
With this knowledge over the next year, they hope to repair stones over the 22-and-a-half-acre cemetery.
"We can understand the past better by how we treat it now."
They are making sure these reminders of the past will stay written in stone for generations to come.
"We really want to pass this on to future generations and care for those who've gone before."
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