Check out Boston Stone Restoration owner, Paul Bunis, in this great Wicked Local article.
Paul Bunis points out a grave marker which he cleaned and restored at the West Cemetery in Sharon on Nov. 8. Wicked Local Staff photo/ Erin Prawoko
Just two years ago, many of the tombstones at the West Cemetery, or the Billings Cemetery, were dirty and illegible from centuries of wear. Over time, white granite stones had become black or brown. Many had coats of rust and algae. Because of years of rain, exhaust and acid rain, their engravings became impossible to make out.
Resident Paul Bunis, a professional stone restorer, was appalled when he saw the state of the tombstones. Because it’s his job to make stone look good, he knew exactly what to do to restore these historical stones, many of them dating back to the 1700s and 1800s, to a presentable state. But it wasn’t so easy to get started. He needed permission from various boards in town, including the Sharon Historical Society, which helps oversees the cemetery. When the town green lighted his proposal to clean and restore the tombstones at the West Cemetery in 2011, he immediately got to work.
Special thanks to writer Wei-Huan Chen and photographer Erin Prawoko for taking the time to cover our story.