Interns Practice Preservation at Woodlawn

By Aislinn Keely

At the close of August, 16 interns graduated from this summer’s nine week long Woodlawn Conservancy Summer Preservation Training Program. The program, established in 2015, is designed to equip young men and women in the community surrounding Woodlawn Cemetery with masonry skills for further employment through much needed preservation work on the Conservancy’s historical monuments, according to a press release from the Conservancy.

The 16 interns spent the nine weeks of the program focused on the restoration of the Matthew C. Borden Memorial, an extensive collection of sarcophagi complete with a plaza. Through working on the monument, the interns earned qualifications and in some cases certifications, in masonry techniques that will facilitate a career in masonry work.

Jontae Stanley, 22, and Jairo Castillo, 18, both Bronx residents, were selected from this year’s class to continue on a 19 month paid apprenticeship.

The instructors noticed attributes conducive of a career in masonry.

“The instructor saw a persistence in them and a nontangible knowledge of working with their hands. They were also terrific in teamwork,” said Eline Maxwell of Woodlawn Conservancy in a phone interview. Teamwork was integral to the program as the 16 interns broke into teams of two tasked with researching individual memorials within the monument before any masonry work began. From there, they worked in two rotating teams of eight that switched off between using techniques on a practice wall and the memorial itself.

This summer’s Class of 2016 was whittled down from an applicant pool of 60, according to the interview with Maxwell. The application process included a brief math and literacy test along with a 250 word personal statement regarding why the applicant wished to pursue the program and, more broadly, masonry as a career.

This narrowed down the 60 to a group between 25 and 28 top scorers. These men and women sat for a final interview to cut their group to the final 16 interns that would work the nine week paid program.

“From day one this is what I wanted,” said Jontae Stanley on the opportunity, according to a press release from Woodlawn Conservancy.

All interns receive certifications in suspended and support scaffolding, along with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training. They are trained to differentiate between different stone types and are educated in pointing, caulking, cleaning and using the jahn, a type of mortar. Interns pressure-washed stone and removed biological growth from the monument as well.

These restoration skills are the heart of the program, as it is a, “program for out of school, out of work men and women ages 18 to 24 that focuses on masonry work guided by historical preservation techniques,” said Maxwell.

At the close of the program, students are assisted by organizations to transition into union apprentice jobs or work with local contractors, particularly by The Door and Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) Local 1.

Cathedral Stone Products has also matched past graduates with work in the field. The skills learned over the course of the program are highly sought after as, “there is a growing need throughout the nation for craftspeople experienced in the preservational arts,” according to Susan Olsen, Director of Historical Services at Woodlawn.

The program is a symbiotic relationship between Woodlawn Cemetery and the Bronx community.

“The program is a win-win: Woodlawn is taking steps to preserve its mausolea, monuments and sculptures for future generations and these young adults are being given the opportunity to begin a lifelong career in the trades,” said Mitch Rose, President & CEO of The Woodlawn Cemetery and Woodlawn Conservancy, Inc.

Historical preservation is paramount as the cemetery itself is imbued with great historical relevance. This year’s class focused on the 1904 memorial named for textile tycoon Matthew C. Borden that houses Borden and his relatives. Borden rests near other important figures such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Herman Melville and Duke Ellington, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“As a historic cemetery with the finest collection of funerary art in the nation, we recognize our larger obligation to the Bronx and the City of New York,” said Mitch Rose, according to the press release.

For the apprentices, the program provides them with the opportunity to look at their accomplishments. “I like what we do here,” said apprentice Jairo Castillo. “I feel really proud to see the difference after we clean and fix a monument.” The goal of the program is just that: to make a difference on all levels of community and historical preservation.

The Woodlawn Cemetery Preservation Training and Apprentice Program, created by the Woodlawn Conservancy, the World Monuments Fund and the International Masonry Institute, is funded by World Monuments Fund, The Heckscher Foundation for Children, The Dalio Foundation, Inc., the Achelis Foundation, the Pinkerton Foundation, The New York Community Trust and the office of New York City Council Member Andrew Cohen.