Monumental Bronze Company, Bridgeport, CT

The Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut is a now long extinct company that made grave markers and monuments. However, what they made was not from granite, marble, or even carved. The products that they made were cast from zinc. These grave markers are also known as "white bronze." And they are not bronze either. Once you recognize the appearance of these blue-gray monuments they are very easy to pick out when strolling through the "marble orchard" as one of my grandfathers once called the cemetery.

An example of a zinc monument

To my knowledge the Monumental Bronze Company was the only company to manufacture this product. The company began in 1874 and lasted until 1914.

According an excerpt of the below advertisement, "Marble is entirely out of date. Granite soon gets moss-grown... White Bronze is strictly everlasting... Moss-growth is an impossibility. It is more artistic than any stone."

Advertisement courtesy USGenWeb Archives

These views are somewhat true today. Marble stones, aside from military tablets, are not used as they once were. Granite does accumulate moss. Zinc monuments are for sure just as legible as the day it was installed.

It appears that the main way these monuments will fail is due to physical contact, such as lawnmower accidents or falling tree limbs. All zinc markers that I have examined were in perfect condition. But, you will not find many of these markers in our area. They never caught on. It was told to me that many granite and marble carvers were dead-set against the sale of these markers because they feared that they would soon be out of jobs if people took notice of the durability of zinc markers. Many carvers banded together and convinced some cemeteries boards to not allow the white bronze markers on their grounds. They were very successful.

Locally, I know of one zinc monument in a Troy cemetery and another in a Colonie cemetery. I am sure that there are more but these markers are elusive. When I was in a Kansas cemetery a couple years back I spotted three in the Wellsville Cemetery. Keep your eyes open and perhaps you will find one of these beauties. Just tap it. It will be hollow.

For further information on the Monumental Bronze Company and its products, see the following website:
Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

A full catalog from the Monumental Bronze Company with prices is included on the website.

Upcoming Local History & Genealogy Programs

The following programs were brought to my attention today. The first has very short notice for it. From today's Rensselaer County Advertiser newspaper.

Researching Your Irish Ancestors Using Online Records
Join us at the Troy Public Library on Saturday, February 17th, at 10:30am for a presentation on Irish genealogy. Genealogist-in-residence for the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, Lisa Dougherty, for a workshop detailing the ins and outs of Irish research. Did you know that some church parish records can be accessed from a home computer? That it is possible to pinpoint the exact location of your family's home in the mid-1800s? Or that there is a website specifically dedicated to connecting scattered Irish families from all over the world? This presentation will give you an idea of the basics to help you find your family in the Emerald Isle!

This program is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is recommended. For more information and to register, call the library at 518-274-7071 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org.

The Troy Public Library is located at
100 Second Street
Troy, NY.



An email from from the New Netherland Institute brought the following program to my attention. At the Hudson Area Library a local history talk will take place on 22 February 2018. From the library's web page:

Local History Speaker Series Talk in Collaboration with the Leisler Institute
The Jacob Leisler Institute, in cooperation with the library, will present Libelers, Monsters, and Rebels: The Jacob Leisler Institute and Research into New York’s Neglected English Colonial Period on Thursday, February 22 at 6pm at the library. During this local history talk David Voorhies will discuss the Zenger Trial, the Claverack Giant and local Native tribes, the so-called Negro Conspiracy of 1741, and, of course, Jacob Leisler and the 1689-1691 Leisler’s Rebellion. The focus of this event will be on the integration of various European ethnic groups into a broader English colonial melting pot (Huguenots, Germans, Dutch, English, etc), and on the English manorial and political systems which continue to impact this region today.

A question and answer period and refreshments will follow the talk. For more information email programs@hudsonarealibrary.org, call 518.828.1792 x101, or visit the main desk in the library.

The Hudson Area Library is located at

51 North 5th Street

Hudson, NY 12534

Semi Genealogy Related : Local Computer Repairs

This blog post is semi-genealogy related. Most genealogists use computers, monitors, printers, and scanners to aid them in their research pursuits. After we buy these products rarely do we ever not need any help with them. Electronics can be trouble at times. Sometimes things just stop working. That is where my buddy Lloyd comes in. Lloyd operates Nassau Computer Repairs at 3500 US Route 20 just west of the village of Nassau in Rensselaer County.

Lloyd has been doing this for a while and he is very good at what he does. Not only does he sell computers and needed accessories; he also troubleshoots and makes needed repairs. I have found Lloyd to be very honest and fair in all of my computer related business dealings with him over the years. Hence my plug.

Below is the contact information for Nassau Computer Repairs. Check them out; you won't be sorry!

Nassau Computer Repairs
Website: Nassau Computer Repairs
Phone: 518.931.0035
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 9am to 6pm; Saturday, 10am to 2pm

Power of D2 Biological Solution

I must have touted the power of D2 Biological Solution a hundred times. But pictures say more words than I can. Below are a series of photos taken at the Nassau-Schodack Cemetery from early Summer through early Fall, last year.

The small granite gravestone is that of one of my great-granduncles, George James Eger. George was a younger brother of one of my great-grandmothers, Catherine Eger Gannon. Notice the name spelling. That is a story for another time. But quickly, George's wife thought the name was "too" ethnic and thus the name was changed.

Water, D2, & a Soft Bristle Brush

D2 is the go-to solution for removing biological growth such as moss, lichens, mold, and mildew. It will not harm the stone as other household cleaning chemicals will. The photos below show what happens over time.

June 2017, before cleaning

June 2017, immediately after cleaning

August 2017, beginning to brighten

October 2017, four to five months later

Upcoming Local History & Irish Genealogy Programs

The following information comes from today's issue of the Rensselaer County Advertiser newspaper.

The Underground Railroad of Troy, NY
Join us at the Troy Public Library on Monday, February 5th, at 6:00 pm for an eye-opening night of local history. Special guest speaker Paul Stewart of the Underground Railroad History Project will be sharing his exhaustive wealth of knowledge with us, and telling the stories of those who were important to the success of the Underground Railroad, right here in the capital district we call home.

He will also be debunking common misconceptions many may assume are historical facts, such as houses with secret rooms being an indicator that they were a part of the Underground Railroad.

The program is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is recommended. For more information and to register, call the library at 518-274-7071 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org. The Troy Public Library is located at 100 Second Street, Troy, NY.



RPA's 2nd Thursday Lecture Series
Thursday, February 8th- Sand Lake Town Hall, 7pm.
Rensselaer Plateau Alliance's 2nd Thursday Lecture Series presents Schooling in the 19th Century- One-room schoolhouses on the Plateau.

The town of Brunswick has two preserved 19th century schoolhouses: one is owned by the Town that serves as the headquarters of the Brunswick Historical Society and the other is the property of the Brunswick Central School District. Both hosted classes throughout the mid-20th century and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sharon Zankel has studied old school records and conducted dozens of oral history interviews. "When we explore the history of schools, we're also looking at the community at large... how people lived and worked, recreation, travel, local traditions. It all comes together when you talk about schools," she says. Held at 8428 Miller Hill Rd, Sand Lake, NY.



Researching Your Irish Ancestors Using Online Records
Join us at the Troy Public Library on Saturday, February 17th, at 10:30 am for a presentation on Irish genealogy. Genealogist-in-residence for the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, Lisa Dougherty, for a workshop detailing the ins and outs of Irish research. Did you know that some church parish records can be accessed from a home computer? That it is possible to pinpoint that there is a website specifically dedicated to connecting scattered Irish families from all over the world? this presentation will give you an idea of the basics to help you find your family in the Emerald Isle!

This program is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is recommended. For more information and to register, call the library at 518-274-7071 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org. The Troy Public Library is located at 100 Second Street, Troy, NY.

Follow Up on Cleaning & Restoring Gravestones

This is a short follow-up on last week's post on cleaning and restoring gravestones. Last Sunday when the weather was mild and in the 40s I took a quick walk through a local cemetery and snapped these photos. The photos show various gravestones in different degrees of needed work.

What looks like almost nothing is wrong is the photo below. Notice how the stone is actually rising along with the growth of the offending cedar tree. The tree roots and trunk are actually raising the stone out of the ground. The only permanent fix for this is to remove the tree and then re level the grade and reset the stone. The stone work is minimal but the tree and root work can be extensive. This happens in most cemeteries. Ornamental shrubs and trees are planted but then not tended to for years and then the result is a large overgrown and unruly plant.

The next photo shows a perfect example of what I described as the iron pins that hold the stone upright on its base oxidizing. Over time, the pins rust and when they oxidize the pins expand and crack the stone.  These pins must be removed, the stone repaired with Lithomex, and new stainless steel pins installed in place of the iron pins. Some times the stone will become rust colored where the pins are. It is as if the rust is bleeding through. This usually happens before the stone breaks.

The below photo shows a major causality. The stone is broken, is delaminating, and is also sugared. It appears that much of the face of the stone where the inscription was has completely flaked off. This type of work is to be left to a professional gravestone conservator. At the same time, it also could be a lost cause. The stone can be put back together but the inscription is gone. Who was this person?

The repair that was a great idea but done incorrectly is below. The side brackets would never last; especially with the angle of the leaning tablet.

Finally the next photo is the stone of a distant cousin. The stone is obviously in much need of repair but this should be a relatively easy repair if all of the pieces are present. I look forward to this work in the upcoming Spring. When a stone that is damaged as such is restored; it is a huge sense of accomplishment when it is put back together and standing upright as it did 100 plus years ago.