Ashley Shares

Why do some headstones at Oakland look more weathered than others? Why are some crisp and as easy to read as the day they were carved while others appear to have melted? The primary reason for this has to do…

When the topic of vandalism in public places comes up, one of the first things we think of is graffiti. And for good reason—you cannot go very far in a major city without noticing some form of it. Cemeteries are…

For as long as it has been dangerous, lead has also been incredibly useful. Some historians refer to it as the ancient equivalent of plastic: impossible to live without, but also not that healthy for us. Lead was a popular…

Atlanta is home to many cemeteries. A few, like Oakland, have remained a prominent part of the city’s culture. Most, though, are known only to a few family members or to the current owner of the property the cemetery rests…

We typically think of stone, brick, and cement as being strong, solid, and impervious, right? Not entirely. Both natural stone like marble, granite, and limestone and manufactured building materials like cinder blocks and concrete are porous. This means that these…

As the weather begins to cool off this Fall, the Preservation, Restoration, and Operations (PRO) team is transitioning to a different season of preservation work. During extreme weather, either very hot or very cold, we abstain from using mortars. That…

The current restoration of East Hill is one of the largest undertakings in Historic Oakland Foundation's forty-five years. While most of the work is similar to what we have done in sections like Jewish Hill and the Original Six Acres,…