Headstone Cleaning Demonstration

 “Rock Star” Graveyard-Saving Preservationist to Demonstrate Headstone Cleaning and Repair Techniques at Altadena’s Mountain View Cemetery June 26 

Time/Date: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., June 26, 2024 

Location: Mountain View Cemetery, Altadena, CA 

Contact: René Amy [email protected] 

The man who restored the oldest-known grave marker in the United States, Jonathon Appell, will lead a free, introductory, day-long event hosted by Altadena’s Mountain View Cemetery to instruct members of the public on best practices of headstone cleaning and repair on Wednesday, June 26. 

Appell, a noted historic preservationist based in Connecticut, has spent over a decade of summers travelling the contiguous United States, 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 chronicling the long-running tour to create a documentary feature. 

“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 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 volunteer “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 Union volunteer 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. 

Free tickets for the event, which begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at 3 p.m. on the 26th, are available through https://www.eventbrite.com/e/headstone-cleaning-preservation-101-48-state-tour-in-altadena-tickets-919636085287 ,which includes full details and answers to frequently-asked questions. 

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