Eighteen people took part in a historic masonry reconstruction workshop at Bayside Cemetery in Potsdam this summer, getting a close-up look at the kind of restoration work that keeps stone structures standing for the long haul.

The workshop was sponsored by Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) and led by Andrew Turner and Noah Lupini of Lupini Construction of Utica. The instructors introduced community members to core skills used in preservation-focused masonry work, including how mortar choice and workmanship connect to a stone’s characteristics and a structure’s historic period.

Participants learned key steps that show up on real restoration jobs:
Matching mortar to the stone type and historical period
Removing old mortar and preparing surfaces
Applying new mortar
Finishing the surface

The training tied directly to ongoing work at the cemetery. Lupini Construction completed restoration of the northern urn-bearing tower in Bayside Cemetery’s sandstone entrance, which finished the full restoration of all towers surrounding the entrance gates.

Supporters can donate to the Bayside Cemetery Association by mail or online. The cemetery organization is a 501(c)(13) nonprofit, and contributions are tax-deductible, as allowed by law.

Read the full, original article from North Country Now here.