Nombre de Dios Cemetery Recording Project Completed
The Nombre de Dios Cemetery Recording Project is now complete! We began the project in April and just had our final field day last week. I cannot imagine a more beautiful or peaceful place to spend a work morning!
Of course you're now asking, what exactly occurred during this 5 month period? Well...
- 85 - Individual markers were transcribed, measured, assessed and photographed
- 51 - 10 x 10 meter blocks were measured and mapped
- 115 - Hours were worked in the field
- 9 - Volunteers worked in the cemetery (not usually all at once)
(If you want more details, see our April Nombre De Dios Cemetery Blog Post when we kicked off the project).
So, the next logical question that could be asked is - why? Why would FPAN and volunteers spend so many hours working in Nombre De Dios Cemetery? Well, because:
it's fun...
It's relaxing...
It's entertaining...
And above all, we know that we are protecting this information for generations to come.
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| volunteer recording a headstone in Nombre De Dios Cemetery |
The Catholic Diocese does a great job of maintaining the cemetery. But since 1884 (when the cemetery was established), many of these markers have been broken and repaired multiple times structurally compromising the stone.
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| broken and repaired headstone in Nombre De Dios Cemetery |
Another threat to the markers are hurricanes! The Nombre grounds encountered major flooding during Hurricanes Irma and Matthew. The Diocese is working diligently to mitigate future flood damage. But being located right on the water, Nombre de Dios will naturally be at risk with future storms and impending sea level rise.
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| coastal defenses in the works at Nombre De Dios Cemetery |
So, my view has gone from this:
To this:
Stay tuned for our next cemetery recording project!
Text and Photos by FPAN Staff; Robbie Boggs