TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Led by two Troy residents, preservation efforts are underway to repair the gravestones and monuments at Old Mount Ida Cemetery. With help from Grave Stone Matters, the community is showing their support in more ways than one.

The efforts began a decade ago when Alysia Hamilton and Cameron Smith, two Troy residents who live near the New Mount Ida Cemetery, would perform clean up on their own. They wanted to do more, eventually teaming up with the Sons of Union Veterans Camp 154 to get a Troy Now grant to commission Joe Ferrannini from Grave Stone Matters to help repair and preserve the Old and New Mount Ida Cemeteries.

For the last 15 years, Ferrannini has been working with towns, historical societies, and cemetery associations to conserve their historic gravestones and monuments. He describes his job as “my dream hobby that turned into a career.”

Ferrannini will spend 15 days repairing a portion of the gravestones at Old Mount Ida Cemetery and return in the fall for another 15 day session. Since he began his work, he’s had volunteers from the community by his side helping him.

Volunteers who want to assist in the field, and learn other ways to support the project, can contact Cameron Smith at the following email address: preservenewmountida@gmail.com.