Preservation Group Marks 'Major Milestone' In Restoring 100 Gravestones At Historic Patchogue Cemetery

PATCHOGUE, NY — The Friends of Lakeview Cemeteries marked a major milestone of restoring 100 gravestones in Waverly Cemetery since 2023 — around one-third of the professional restoration work identified in a 2021 assessment.

The work was made possible through generous community support and key funding sources, including a 2024 Gardiner Foundation Challenge Match grant and a Suffolk County Parks Hotel-Motel Fund grant, officials said.

While much remains to be done, the restorations significantly reduced the number of stones at immediate risk of further damage, according to officials.

In addition to professional conservation, volunteers contributed hundreds of hours maintaining the grounds, carefully cleaning headstones, and improving overall safety and accessibility.

A major focus over the past year was the removal of invasive Japanese knotweed that had overtaken parts of the property.

The dense overgrowth was threatening both gravestones and burial sites, and as it was cleared, several long-hidden 18th-century markers were revealed, reconnecting the community with individuals whose stories had quite literally been lost beneath the surface, officials said.

Restoration efforts also began at the gravesite of Elizabeth Oakes-Smith, a nationally recognized 19th-century writer and women’s rights advocate buried at Lakeview, according to the group.

The group plans to expand restoration work into Union Cemetery in 2026.

Arlene Guzman Capobianco, chair of Friends of Lakeview Cemeteries and a leader of the restoration efforts, said, "the preservation of these cemeteries is about more than repairing broken stones."

“It’s about honoring the lives of those who came before us and making sure future generations understand the history that shaped our community," she said. "Thanks to our volunteers and supporters, we’re making steady, meaningful progress.”