Ta Mara Conde has been conserving and restoring historic grave stones since 1998, beginning as an apprentice with Fred Oakly who was the head of conservation for the Association of Gravestone Studies (AGS). She continued studying conservation techniques through several institutions including AGS, the National Parks Service and Cathedral Stone Products Certification Program. Ta Mara has taught conservation workshops through Greenfield Community College and continues to use hands-on workshops to educate cemetery employees and the public about proper conservation techniques across the US and Canada.
She has worked closely with Historical Societies, Cemetery Commissions and Town Boards to catalog, assess and restore stones in the following cemeteries; New Britain Baptist Church Yard in New Britain, PA, Old Burying Ground in Halifax, Nova Scotia, East Parish Burying Ground in Newton, MA, Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Oakland, CA, Wooster Cemetery in Danbury, CT, Center Cemetery in New Salem, MA, Meetinghouse Cemetery in Princeton, MA,
Cone Hill and Center Cemeteries in Richmond, MA, Woodlawn Cemetery in Nashua, NH, Center and Pine Grove Cemeteries in Templeton, MA, Vale Cemetery in Schenectady, NY, Liberty Street Cemetery in Granville, Ohio and Salem Street Cemetery, Medford, MA.
Ta Mara started Historic Gravestone Services (HGS) in 2007 to provide professional restoration services for grave markers, monuments, sculpture and other historic stone works using historically accurate materials and standard artifact conservation techniques. HGS abides by the American Institute of Conservation’s code of ethics and follows the Secretary of the Interior’s standards for monument conservation.
AFFILIATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS Association for Gravestone Studies - Board of Directors, Chair of Conservation Committee 2005-2011 New Salem Historical Commission - Board of Directors New Salem Cemetery Commission - Chair, Board of Directors Friends of Historic New Salem – Board of Directors American Institute of Conservation - Member Stone Foundation - Member Preservation Trade Network - Member National Trust for Historic Preservation - Member Cathedral Stone Certification Program Certified Jahn Products Technician National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Parks Service Certified Monument Conservation Certified Cemetery Landscape Management