Monuments, Markers, and Memorials

  1. A permit must be obtained for any work performed in the cemetery (except maintenance performed by City Personnel in the course of their official duties).
  2. All coping and ledgers must be of polished granite or marble and installed even with the ground. Ledgers shall be a minimum of 4 inches in thickness and a maximum size of 7 feet by 3 feet. Coping is not permitted in designated "cremation" sections, Babyland, Toddlerland, or other restricted areas of the cemetery.
  3. The use of tiles, bricks, rocks, gravel, crushed rock, oyster shells, mulch, cinders or other material on any burial space in the cemetery is strictly forbidden. The cemetery personnel may remove said material without notice to the burial space owner.
  4. Homemade markers, coping, or ledgers of any kind, including those associated with counter top granite or yard decoration is prohibited.
  5. Persons erecting monuments, other structures, or work of any kind will not be permitted to scatter material or rubbish over adjoining lots. They shall be required to set their work or complete their labors as soon as possible after entering the cemetery under the instruction and direction of cemetery personnel. All rubbish is to be removed at once and in the case of neglect such removal will be made by the City at the expense of the burial space owner/heir or contractor.
  6. Private contractor firms will be held responsible for any damage done by them whatsoever in the cemetery and shall at all times be subject to the control and direction of cemetery personnel.
  7. Private contractor firms and others are prohibited from placing their names on any signs with a view of advertising within the limits of the cemetery.
  8. Any memorialization of a second interment in a double interment space must be by way of a single, flat marker at the foot of that space and installed at grade level if not memorialized on the monument at the head of the space.
  9. Symbols of faith, hope, love, as well as religious symbols and emblems of fraternal and military organizations contribute to the significance of a memorial. The addition of symbols, epitaphs, and historical inscriptions added to monument, markers, and memorials are encouraged whenever possible.
  10. Only one monument, marker, or memorial will be allowed at the head of each burial space and one flat marker is permitted at the foot of the space.
  11. Monuments shall be etched, grooved, or embossed with the deceased name to create a durable record of the deceased. Memorials or inscriptions deemed to be offensive by the City shall be removed or corrected at the expense of the owner. Markers in restricted cemetery sections are limited to ground level markers only and coping is not permitted in these sections (i.e., Cremation Section and certain other specified sections reserved for regular burials).
  12. Burial spaces must be paid in full before the installation of monuments, markers, or memorials will be allowed.
  13. The City will assume no responsibility for the correct location of the monument, marker, or memorial. Any changes ordered by the owners will be made at their expense.
  14. Should any monument, marker, or memorial become damaged or deemed a menace to safety, the City may, at the expense of the burial space owner/heir, repair, improve, or remove it, after an attempt to contact the burial space owner/heir has been made.
  15. Private contractors shall set monuments in conformity with cemetery requirements and in accordance with the trade standards of proper methods of handling and setting. A Grave Marker Permit must be completed at least 24 hours prior to monument installation. Permits are issued by the City Clerk’s Office. All monument installation policies must be adhered to by the private contractor installing the monument.
  16. No curbing, hedging, grave mounds, boarders, enclosures, mausoleums, or walks of any kind shall be allowed to be built or placed on any burial space in the cemetery. The City reserves the right to remove or add the same without recourse.
  17. The bottom of every stone should be dressed to an even level bed so that it will stand plumb, resting firmly and level on a foundation. All joints shall be sealed against moisture and with non-staining material.
  18. No permanent monuments, markers, or memorials will be permitted in the cemetery when made of wood, iron, Plaster of Paris, cement, limestone, soapstone, artificial stone, slate, metal composition, or PVC piping. All monuments shall be constructed of granite, standard bronze, marble, or like material and set upon a base.
  19. The provisions of this article shall not be construed to be retroactive and any existing monuments, markers, or memorials which conform to the regulations in effect when such monuments, markers, or memorials were installed, shall not be rendered illegal or in violation through the adoption of these regulations. If any nonconforming or "grandfathered" monuments, markers, or memorials are replaced for any reason, the nonconforming or "grandfathered" use shall be deemed abandoned and shall not thereafter be permitted to continue.

Maximum Marker Sizes

DESCRIPTION LOT DIMENSIONS MAXIMUM MARKER SIZE
Single Marker 3 feet 6 inches by 10 feet 40 inches
Double Marker 7 feet by 10 inches 82 inches
Babyland 2 feet by 3 feet 6 inches 22 inches
Children 30 inches by 6 feet 28 inches
Toddlerland 2 feet 6 inches by 7 feet 28 inches
Cremains (flat only) 3 feet 6 inches by 2 feet 6 inches 40 inches by 28 inches

Minimum marker size shall be a 12 inch by 24 inches bronze plaque with a concrete or granite base, unless being placed by the City under the rules for the marker deposit.