By coordinating the knowledge and skills of many specialists to develop and implement a conservation plan for St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, this multi-faceted project provides an alternative approach to the long-term preservation and care of these very significant cultural landscapes.

Dead Space: Focus St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

The multi-phased Dead Space Project is focused on developing a model conservation plan beginning with the documentation, recording and analysis of the cemetery and its urban context over time. This has been realized through comprehensive survey and mapping of the site and its urban context, measured drawings of selected tombs, and the development of practical guidelines and standards for the conservation and maintenance of the tombs and tombscapes. Central to the project has been the utilization of digital technologies, with an extensive database tied to a Geographic Information System (GIS) as descriptive, analytical and communication tools to better map, analyze and ultimately manage this and similar sites throughout the city and state. This represents the first large-scale application of such powerful tools to the conservation and management of historic burial grounds and cemeteries.

With information synthesized from the condition survey, treatments were developed through laboratory and field testing and executed in 3 model projects to address the types of materials and characteristic problems most typically encountered. The results from these pilot projects were incorporated into the guidelines written for the site and have been more fully utilized in the Save America's Treasures project to restore the Alley 9-L Tombscape.