“This is one of the oldest cemeteries in the state,” Brenner said. “It has a marker dating back to 1830. The only one I’ve seen that had an older marker was a cemetery in West Columbia, which dated back to 1820. This is a very historic cemetery.”

“By the time we are finished, we’ll have done between 80 and 90 stones as well as restoring three really big marble monuments on the south end of the cemetery.

“This week, we’re working on filling cracks and making things structurally sound. Monday, we’ll be working on new forms for the pedestal bases and then we’ll bring in a crane from Corpus Christi to actually lift the pedestals. Our equipment can lift up to 11 feet but some of the pedestals we’re working with here go 15 to 16-feet tall with bases weighing up to 1,200 pounds.”

One of the things that sets Brenner’s company apart is its use of traditional materials and methods in the restoration process.

For example, he said the columns present a particular challenge.

“In the case of the columns you have two main bases and then a mid-base topped off with the actual column. In the 1800s, they used a ferrous (iron-based) pin to hold the parts together. Because of the iron, they tended to rust and as the pins oxidize and rust they expand, kind of like water turning to ice. That causes cracking.

“What we do is use lime-based mortars, which date back to Egypt and Rome rather than concrete to fill in the cracks and make the structures sound. We then use a stainless steel pin, which doesn’t rust.”

Another item of interest he’s found in the Matagorda Cemetery is a number of monuments made from a zinc-alloy cast rather than bronze.

“It is referred to as monumental bronze and was manufactured in Connecticut from 1874 to 1914. It does oxidize but not as bad as other metals and from a distance appears as grey stone. There are quite a few of those in this cemetery, which leaves a big impression.

“I think because it is along the coast, they could bring in monuments from places like Galveston that you wouldn’t be able to get in other parts of the state.”

Brenner said his interest in cemeteries dates back to his growing up in a family that operated a monument business.

“Since about age 10, I was already tracing monument designs and fell in love with the art. I went off to be an accountant and did that for about three years before I decided I didn’t like being in an office.

“I did some soul-searching and kept coming back to the idea of fixing tombstones. In the late 90s, there weren’t a lot of people doing that kind of work. Right now, I’d estimate there are about 25 to 30 qualified people in the entire U.S. and most of those are based in the Northeast.”

Once the decision was made, Brenner said a lot of his training involved self-education and talking to others about the best methods.

“There have been a lot of bad restorations and early on, I probably did a few of those myself. But when I started looking into preservation, I looked at the work being done on historic buildings, particularly the cathedrals damaged in World War I and II in Europe. What materials they were using and the techniques.

“In particular, we started looking at it from a chemical standpoint and what had historically done by stone masons. The difference being they were building while we are rebuilding. I also got information from the web. In particular I found the NCPTT (The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, a National Parks and Wildlife group in Louisiana) which had several good ideas, such as using the lime mortars.”

Texas Cemetery Restoration, a company currently working on the restoration of several monuments in the historic Matagorda Cemetery will continue the major project through the end of next week. Pictured from left: Ernesto Dimas, Will Christopher and Rusty Brenner.  far as his approach, Brenner said he follows a simple two-step method.

“The first is do no harm. Don’t use materials that are going to damage what exists. The second is anything you are able to do should be able to be undone. That way, if a new and better product becomes available, the work can be restored again.”

Bay City Tribune, March 30, 2014