A community service project initiated and faithfully supported by the past and present members and friends of the Col. Leonidas Lafayette Polk , Camp 1486, Sons of Confederate Veterans. Most pictures are thumbnails. Click on picture to view full-size, with "medium" resolution. High-resolution pictures take too much space here, but may be obtained from the Webmaster.

  Here are a few of the steps taken to erect a new headstone.

	The information on the headstone has been carefully researched and verified; and the exact location of the recipient is verified again. It must be correct!
	The headstones being erected are carefully aligned with the existing headstones, by using a string stretched across the rows, and also by using a string stretched up and down the column of headstones. Each headstone is also checked for plumb in two different directions. ...and checked for rotation (it must face squarely down its' column; not to either side).
	Each headstone weighs about 235 pounds. It is possible for one man to erect a headstone by himself, but it is a lot easier and safer to have at least two men working on each headstone.
	BEFORE FRAN. Take a close look at this picture; then take a close look at the next picture. This is just one example of the damage done by Hurricane Fran.

 

Before and after Hurricane Fran. The first group of pictures is from a workday about 3 weeks before the storm. (The eye of the storm went over us September 6, 1996, 03:30 in the morning). What a mess. One of the trees was at least 206 years old. That same tree was about 8 inches in diameter when the cemetery opened in 1866. The "BEFORE FRAN" and AFTER FRAN" pictures were on the same roll of film. The author was not aware of the similarity of this view until after the entire roll of film was developed. It's amazing that the picures were taken from almost the same exact position!

 

	AFTER FRAN. Compare the view here, with the previous picture.

September 6, 1996. Hurricane Fran.