After the Restoration
This is what the cemetery looked like after the restoration of the stone wall was completed in 2010. If you remember the "Before" pictures, you can see that there has been an enormous improvement.
In addition to the restoration of the gravestones and stone wall, a wooden cross, sitting benches, entrance gate, welcome sign and tool shed have been added to the location. Additionally, years of brush have been removed, and there is now a beautiful vista of the Guld of St. Lawrence, as it would have looked when the cemetery was created.
In the photo gallery below, you can see all the gravestones in their restored condition.
NOTES ON THE RESTORATIONS
Cemetery Restoration of 2009
In 2009, the restoration was focused on straightening and fixing the broken stones that were clearly visible. We were fortunate to have hired a very good stone mason, Barry Nelson, who in his work, uncovered many stones which had sunken into the earth over the years, and which were restored to view. We also came to discover many broken stones from a restoration attempt that had occurred in 1973, in which broken stones were discarded in a pile outside the cemetery grounds. It was like "a gigantic jigsaw puzzle", but many of these stones were successfully reassembled and raised back in the cemetery.
The work completed in this first restoration was celebrated in a Memorial Service and Dedication ceremony in mid-summer, which was attended by over 100 people. The restoration efforts were also recognized for their achievements with several awards, notably the designation of the cemetery as a PEI Heritage Place, and also a Rural Beautification Award.
Cemetery Restoration of 2010
In 2010, the focus of restoration work shifted to improving the overall appearance of the cemetery grounds. Early in the year, the entrance to the cemetery was expanded significantly with the addition of many truckloads of shale. In addition, landscaping work commenced at the entrance to the cemetery.
A Memorial Service was held during the summer of 2010, but no further restoration work occurred until October, when preliminary excavations of the mound wall commenced. A 3-month project commenced in early November, with the project team uncovering and restoring an ancient red sandstone wall; finding additional buried tombstones and fragments; building a shed, benches, driveway fencing, and relocation of the cemetery signage.
Totally unplanned in this restoration work was the discovery of an ancient sandstone well, with a depth of 50 feet, and in pristine condition. The well was found in the property across the road from the cemetery, which was the location of the house of the Parish Priest. It had been covered over with a marking stone, and had eventually become buried under a mound of clay.
Finally, some unusual stones were also found at this site, with unidentified markings. We really don't know what the markings are - they could be the result of work performed on the stone, or may potentially be a form of gaelic stone writing that was known to be practiced in Ireland, and presumably in the Celtic areas where these pioneers originated.
Cemetery Restoration of 2011
Those who have visited the cemetery over the last couple years will recognize that an enormous amount of restoration work has been completed, but we are not stopping just yet.
We are attempting to identifiy and re-assemble some headstones found in pieces during the excavations, and other landscaping and beautification work will continue though the summer.
This section, as well as the News archive section, contains more detail on the work and these developments.
This is what the cemetery looked like in 2008. As you can see, it looks nothing like what you will see on a visit today. 
