Harris Ferry Chapter SAR returned to Old Hanover Presbyterian Churchyard in Grantville.  The chapter has a long history with the cemetery, dating back to restoration efforts in the 1940s and assistance with the wall and bronze markers at the gate in the 1990s.

Ten people volunteered to clean and another four stopped out to talk, hear about the process, and share history on the cemetery. About fifty stones of all veterans buried here were cleaned using D2 Biological Solution (a specialized chemical specifically made for safely cleaning old stonework from years of natural growth); this included a few from the French & Indian War, over 44 from the Revolutionary War, and a few from the Civil War.

Harris Ferry Chapter is committed to keeping the stones of the veterans and patriots maintained. Over time and as more volunteers come forward, hopefully every stone in the entire cemetery will be cleaned.

Future projects include adding a new metal informative sign outside with a QR code that will contain additional information, and potentially another plaque regarding slave and native burials in the area. We are also researching burials of veterans and patriots that still need marked (and cleaned!).

Note: some of the photos below are of stones accidentally marked as patriots. It was hard to read the stones prior to cleaning. But that’s okay! We’ll go back, move the flag marker, and still clean the patriots’ graves. If we cleaned the tombstone of child of a patriot, that’s one less stone needing cleaned AND they are what the SAR calls “Patriot Sons and Daughters.”

Thank you to all that came out to help and financially contributed!  This includes Harris Ferry Chapter compatriots, those from Washingtonburg Chapter, and the Historical Society of East Hanover Township Dauphin County.

SAR volunteers & contributors included:  (Harris Ferry) Lemon, Lute, Coburn, Aumiller, Hendrix, Meglio, Cunningham, Rudisill, & Z. Cunha and (Washingtonburg) Mowery & Troutman