ESTABLISHED 1997

Texas Cemetery Restoration LLC

Conservation, Preservation, & Restoration James “Rusty” Brenner

(214) 686-0014 www.texascemeteryrestoration.com rusty@texascemeteryrestoration.com

OW

NER

James “Rusty” Brenner

Over 15 years experience working in Historic Monument Conservation Jahn certified installers Completed Monument Conservation Workshop by National Center for

Preservation Technology and Training Association for Gravestone Studies Member Dallas Historical Society Member American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Member Preservation Trades Network Member National Trust for Historic Preservation Member Preservation Texas Member Texas Cemeteries Association Member PAAC Preservation of African American Cemeteries Member

SERVICES Preserving Cemeteries Through

Mapping and GIS Databases Cemetery and Monument Assessments Restoration of Monuments Ground Penetrating Radar

Mapping and GIS Databases for Cemeteries

GPS – Global Positioning System We use Trimble GPS to map the locations of features in a cemetery

Our GPS system is made up of three components.

1. Antenna 2. GPS receiver 3. Hand-held data collector (computer)

CEM

ETERY MAPPIN

G SERVICE

Mapping and GIS Databases for Cemeteries C

EMETERY M

APPING SERVICE

CO

NSERVATIO

N SERVICES Monument Assessments

Feature Assessments: • Monument Assessment • Footstone • Historic Fencing • Other Cemetery Features

CO

NSERVATIO

N SERVICES Monument Preservation

Monument Restoration: • Jahn Restorative Mortars

• Limeworks Lithomex Stone

Patching Mortars

Rosehill Cem. (Travis Co., Texas)

CO

NSERVATIO

N SERVICES Monument Cleaning

Monument Cleaning with D/2 Biological Solution • No Salts • No Bleach • Specified by the National Park

Service • No toxic/bio degradable • Continues to work for up to 1 year

CO

NSERVATIO

N SERVICES Monument Cleaning

GPR SERVICES Locating Unmarked Graves

GPR SERVICES Locating Unmarked Graves

GPR SERVICES Locating Unmarked Graves

GPR SERVICES Locating Unmarked Graves

Ground Truthing

2010 RESTORATION PROJECTS

Kyle Cemetery (Houston Co., Texas) Pilgrim Cemetery (Anderson Co., Texas) Dresden Cemetery (Navarro Co., Texas)

Grandview Cemetery (Johnson Co., Texas) Rose Hill Cemetery (Travis Co., Texas)

Concrete Cemetery (Wilson Co., Texas) La Vernia Cemetery (Gonzales Co., Texas)

Watts Chapel Cemetery (Johnson Co., Texas)

2011 RESTORATION PROJECTS

Womack White Cemetery (Bosque Co., Texas) Elm Branch Cemetery (Ellis Co., Texas)

Porter Springs Cemetery (Houston Co., Texas) Dresden Cemetery (Navarro Co., Texas)

Concrete Cemetery (Gonzales Co., Texas)

2012 RESTORATION PROJECTS

Glenwood Cemetery (Alvarado) (Johnson, Co., Texas) Dresden Cemetery (Navarro Co., Texas)

Bono Cemetery ( Johnson Co., Texas) Bear Creek Cemetery ( Collin Co., Texas)

Bowman Cemetery (Collin Co., Texas)

2012 RESTORATION PROJECTS (CONT.)

Colfax Cemetery (Van Zandt Co., Texas) Sweeny Cemetery (Brazoria Co., Texas) Parker Cemetery (Houston Co., Texas) Bridge Cemetery (Denton Co., Texas) Concord Cemetery (Leon Co., Texas)

2013 RESTORATION PROJECTS

Sweeny Cemetery (Brazoria Co., Texas) Columbia Cemetery (Brazoria Co., Texas)

Singleton Cemetery (Ellis Co., Texas) Price’s Chapel Cemetery (Johnson Co., Texas)

Baccus Cemetery (Collin Co., Texas) Bear Creek Cemetery (Collin Co., Texas)

Harmony Ridge Cemetery (San Saba Co., Texas)

2011 MAPPING PROJECTS

Gordonville Cemetery (Grayson Co., Texas) Ewing Chapel Cemetery (Harrison Co., Texas)

Rockwall Cemetery (Rockwall Co., Texas) Cedarvale Cemetery (Kaufman Co., Texas)

Clark Cemetery (Morris Co., Texas) Pleasant Grove Cemetery (Houston Co., Texas) Porter Springs Cemetery (Houston Co., Texas)

2011 MAPPING PROJECTS (CONT.)

Palo Pinto Cemetery (Palo Pinto Co., Texas) Eakins Cemetery (Denton Co., Texas)

Parker Cemetery (Rockwall Co., Texas)

2012 MAPPING PROJECTS

Cedar Grove Cemetery (Miller Co., Arkansas) Youngblood Cemetery (Panola Co., Texas)

Mt. Vernon Cemetery (Faulkner Co., Arkansas) Bono Cemetery (Johnson Co., Texas)

Mountain Peak Cemetery (Ellis Co., Texas) Old Bethel Cemetery (Brazos Co., Texas)

Old Celina Cemetery (Collin Co., Texas) Macedonia Cemetery (Stephens Co., Texas)

Weldon Cemetery (Houston Co., Texas)

2013 MAPPING PROJECTS

Antioch Lovelady Cemetery (Houston Co., Texas) Antioch Ratcliff Cemetery (Houston Co., Texas)

Baccus Cemetery (Collin Co., Texas) Canton City Cemetery (Van Zandt Co., Texas)

Pattison Cemetery (Waller Co., Texas) Caldwell City Cemetery (Burleson Co., Texas)

Locklin Cemetery (Milam Co., Texas) Kingsland Cemetery (Cleveland Co., Texas)

Sam Bass Cemetery (Williamson Co., Texas)

2011 GPR PROJECTS

Rockwall Cemetery (Rockwall Co., Texas) Cedarvale Cemetery (Kaufman Co., Texas)

Bono Cemetery (Johnson Co., Texas)

2012 GPR PROJECTS

Old Celina Cemetery (Collin Co., Texas) Locklin Cemetery (Milam Co., Texas)

Ewing Chapel Cemetery (Harrison Co., Texas) Coker Cemetery (Bexar Co., Texas)

Parker Cemetery (Houston Co., Texas)

MCCREE CEMETERY RESTORATION PROJECT 2013

Presented by Texas Cemetery Restoration LLC owner J.R. “Rusty” Brenner

MCC

REE CEM

ETERY HISTO

RY Texas Historical Marker

Texas Historical Commission Marker The first land for this cemetery was granted by Mahulda Bonner McCree in 1866. At least two burials, for John Henry Jones (d. 1862) and Elizabeth McCullough (d. 1864), occurred before the graveyard was formally deeded. Over the years, the cemetery has been enlarged to cover over 3 acres. It contains the graves of Peters Colonists, War Veterans, and many persons associated with early area Methodist and Baptist churches. McCree Cemetery remains an important part of the recorded history of Dallas County. In 1866, Mahulda McCree deeded 1 1/2 acres for a graveyard. (Dallas County, TX Deeds, Vol. J, Page 485). In 1896, J. E. Griffin and J. A. Griffin and wife deeded an additional 5/8 acre. (Dallas County, TX Deeds, Vol. 247, Page 444.) A small church was built at the cemetery and used by different groups for revivals, etc. After a fire had destroyed their own building, the Rodgers Baptist Church congregation used the building on the cemetery grounds in the 1930's. For this reason, the cemetery is sometimes mistakenly called the Rodgers, or Rogers, Cemetery, but it is the McCree Cemetery, named for Mahulda McCree. Texas Historical Marker (1985)

CU

RRENT C

EMETERY C

ON

DITION

S VIDEO

Trash & Debris

Trash including beer bottles, plastic bags, styrofoam, and paper.

Overgrown brush, trees and out of control vegetation

Fencing, Tombstones and Monuments

Damaged fencing, Toppled, broken and missing tombstones

Unmarked graves

Numerous grave depressions in both sides of the cemetery

CU

RRENT C

EMETERY C

ON

DITION

S VIDEO

Condition Video

CU

RRENT C

EMETERY C

ON

DITION

S VIDEO

Condition Video

CU

RRENT C

EMETERY C

ON

DITION

S VIDEO

Condition Video

CU

RRENT C

EMETERY C

ON

DITION

S VIDEO

Condition Video

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Brush, Tree, and Debris Removal and Landscape Renovation

• Hire landscape architect to evaluate existing horticulture. • Remove identified trees, brush, and debris. • Install new water wise plantings and walk paths designed by

the landscape architect.

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Texas Historic Cemetery Designation

• With help from a historical architect, apply for the Texas Historic Cemetery Designation.

• Order medallion for the designation. • Install new medallion and existing historical

marker on newly designed memorial wall or pavilion.

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Fencing Restoration

• Remove existing perimeter fencing. • Remove fence separating white and black sections of the

cemetery. • Install new wrought iron fencing with brick or rock columns. • Install new wrought iron gates and personnel entries.

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Fencing Restoration

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Tombstone and Monument Preservation

• Utilize monument conservation assessment by TCR LLC to restore all existing monuments by:

• Leveling, • Cleaning, and • Repair.

• Design and install replica tombstones where applicable.

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Cemetery Mapping and Database Generation

• TCR LLC will collect and create a cemetery map of the existing cemetery.

• TCR LLC will generate a correlated burial database to be

displayed on the web and at the cemetery.

• Markers will be installed to help visitors locate individuals buried in the cemetery according to the map.

Example of cemetery location marker

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Cemetery Mapping and Database Generation

Example design of structure to hold cemetery map, burial database, and Texas historical marker and designation medallion

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Cemetery Mapping and Database Generation

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Unmarked and Lost Burials

• TCR LLC and consulting Archeologist Dr. Kent Schneider will conduct a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey for the entire cemetery to locate all unmarked burials.

• The unmarked burials will be included in the cemetery map and burial database.

• Monuments will be installed at the unmarked burial locations.

• The archeological report will be filed with the state.

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Media, Oral History, Online Documentation

Comprehensive interviews with historic knowledge of McCree Cemetery, in video produced documentary style with imagery and other media assets Video tours of Cemetery and historic significance Transcripts transcribed for reading

Work with schools to communicate this information so those may

learn about local history Develop online presence (website) of McCree with details of top

figures in the cemetery to the extent information is found

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

McCree Cemetery Restoration Project Estimated Budject

Texas Historic Cemetery Designation Landscaping

Fencing GPS Mapping and Database

Monument Restoration Ground Penetrating Radar

Replica and unmarked burial monuments Pavilion and Monument

Friends of McCree Cemetery 501-C group funding Media, Oral History Video Documentation

Total

$ 1,000 $ 30,000 $ 80,000 $ 9,000 $ 55,000 $ 17,000 $ 8,000 $ 15,000 $ 35,000 $300,000 $550,000

PRESERVATIO

N PLAN

Preservation Dallas

How you can help! Help develop solicitation letter to the B. B. Owen trust. Help manage planning and financial interest for the project.