Abandoned graveyard

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An abandoned Jewish graveyard Abandoned Jewish Cemetery, Hrivcice - panoramio.jpg
An abandoned Jewish graveyard
An abandoned church and cemetery Abandoned church and graveyard - geograph.org.uk - 4860741.jpg
An abandoned church and cemetery

An abandoned graveyard, also known as an abandoned cemetery, is a graveyard that is no longer being used or maintained, and has fallen into a state of disrepair. [1] [2] [3] Graveyards may be abandoned for various reasons. [4] Some reasons for abandonment of cemeteries include such phenomena as financial difficulty, natural disaster, unpleasant reputation and/or accessibility. [5] Abandoned cemeteries ordinarily fade away in gradual manner. [6] Abandoned cemeteries are of particular interest to urban explorers. [7]

Contents

Quantity

According to one source, it is claimed that there are thousands of abandoned graveyards in the United States. [4]

Identification

Locating and identifying individual graves in an abandoned cemetery may be hard due to lithophytes [a] overgrowing on the tombstone markings. In some cases, it may be difficult because the tombstones have been vandalized. [5]

Relocation

One way of restoring abandoned graveyards is to completely relocate them to such places as wildlife refuges, public parks or historic sites. [5] That means relocating both the tombstone and the coffin.[ clarification needed ] However, relocating graves is rather expensive; it can cost anywhere between $8,000 to $20,000, or in some cases even more. [8]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Or in some cases lichens.

References

  1. ↑ Girard, Jeff; McGimsey, Chip; Jones, Dennis; Ryan, Joanne; Hunter, Donald; Hahn III, Thurston. "Louisiana's Comprehensive Archaeological Plan" (PDF). Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism. State of Louisiana. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
  2. ↑ "Abandoned Cemeteries". dahp.wa.gov. Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  3. ↑ "Why do cemeteries die?". chicora.org. Chicora Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 Crickmore, Katherine (2018). "Abandoned cemeteries: A guide to their identification & care". gateway.uncg.edu. University of North Carolina Greensboro. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "What Happens To Abandoned Cemeteries?". mentalitch.com. Mental Itch. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  6. ↑ Tuulik, Tiina (2018). "One's Own Home, Symbols of One's Own Land — Farm Graveyards in Estonia". tuna.ra.ee. Tuna. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "Job: Urbex – Mission Code: Explore everything – Objective: New sensations". easyurbex.com. EasyUrbex. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "How Much Does it Cost to Move a Grave?". memorials.com. Memorials. 4 August 2022. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2023.

Further reading

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