Wet & Forget Cleans Civil War Monument At Oak Grove Cemetery
Veterans Day marks a time to reflect and honor those who have fought for our country. We recently chatted with Janice, who took on the mission to clean a Civil War monument and veteran gravestones in Fall River, MA. Read on to hear her story.
Janice’s Past Success with Wet & Forget
Janice is an avid gardener and discovered Wet & Forget when listening to a gardening program 6 or 7 years ago. She noticed moss on her roof and decided to give Wet & Forget a try.
“It took care of everything so beautifully! And lasted two years.” -Janice C. from Tiverton, RI
Following this, Janice decided to clean her grandparents’ headstone from the 1930s at Oak Grove Cemetery in Fall River, MA with Wet & Forget Outdoor.
“A few years ago, I treated my Grandparents’ headstones with your product, and it was amazing how beautiful the stones were after using Wet and Forget.” -Janice C.
After seeing how clean the headstones became, she was then motivated to clean her immediate family members’ gravestones in Pocasset Cemetery in Tiverton, RI. These stones dated from the 1800s to the early 1900s.
“Once again, your product didn’t fail me. The results were dramatic, and I look with pride on these headstones when I visit.” -Janice C
She was amazed with the results and was inspired to help her community more. Next, Janice reached out to the cemetery manager and asked if she could use the product on the other gravestones in the cemetery. The manager presented it to the board, and they okayed using Wet & Forget here.
Janice was thrilled! She went to work and cleaned 20 gravestones of the local settlers of the town. All of the gravestones remain mold and mildew-free to this day.
Creating a Plan to Clean the Civil War Monument
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Janice wanted to do something good for the community. While visiting her great grandparents’ headstones at Oak Grove Cemetery, she noticed the gravestones and obelisk, that are a part of the Civil War monument section of the cemetery, were covered in black mold, mildew, and algae. The cannons surrounding the monument were coated in lichen too. Upon seeing the state of the monument and its surroundings, she decided to take action.
“I found my next project to make me feel good.” -Janice C.
Janice made an appointment with the director of the Parks and Commissions of Fall River, MA. She created a proposal with pictures and information about the Wet & Forget product. Her husband even made a diagram of the monument and gravestones to help with her presentation.
“They were very excited about it. It went before their board and was approved!” -Janice C.
She then pulled together her “Wet & Forget COVID Clean Up Team”, which included her husband and nephew, and went to work!
Cleaning the Monument
Janice and her team completed their first application of Wet & Forget in June of 2020. Unfortunately, following this, her region went through the 16th worst drought in the area. She came back in April of 2021 to complete another application. After this, the rain and wind made a significant improvement, as it gently cleaned up the monument, gravestones, and cannons.
In due time, the unsightly black stains came off the obelisk and gravestones without any scrubbing. Thanks to Janice’s team, the Oak Grove Cemetery is now home to sparkling clean monument and veterans gravestones.
“It’s easy, and it works. I like the easy part; you spray and walk away.” -Janice C.
The obelisk was erected by Richard Borden, who was known for textile manufacturing in Fall River. His name is engraved on the obelisk.
Additionally, in this town, 1,800 men fought in the Civil War. All of the names of the 163 men who died in the Civil War are engraved on the monument.
In total, 511 Civil War union soldiers and 1 confederate soldier are buried at Oak Grove Cemetery.
In addition to cleaning the veteran gravestones surrounding the monument, Janice also cleaned the gravestones of two medal of honor recipients buried at Oak Grove Cemetery.
Coxswain Hugh Hamilton was a member of the US Navy and was awarded the medal for his bravery abound the USS Richmond in the Battle of Mobile Bay.
James Holehouse of the 7th Infantry was awarded the medal for his service during the second Battle of Fredericksburg.
After seeing the success of Wet & Forget on the monument, Janice presented for the Daughters of the American Revolution. She discussed her results and how she safely cleaned headstones with Wet and Forget. She’s hoping to show these war hero’s the same respect with beatuiful monuments in their honor.
Interested in cleaning gravestones with Wet & Forget? Follow our step-by-step guide. Want to see more before and after photos? Check out the Wet & Forget Crew Facebook Group, where new before and after photos are posted regularly by customers.
