HISTORIC CLAY STREET CEMETERY HISTORICAL PRESERVATION AND
RESTORATION

Prepared By Kristie Parsons
For

MAIN STREET FAIRBANKS
A PROJECT OF THE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION

Main Street Fairbanks is a project of the Downtown Association of Fairbanks that was adopted in 1988 through the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Main Street recognizes that the best way to preserve a community's heritage is to restore its historic and traditional downtown area as a working and profitable economic center. Main Street is a local private-public partnership funded by memberships, the City of Fairbanks, the North Star Borough, the State of Alaska, the Downtown Association, and the contributions of individuals.
A recent project that Main Street accomplished is CO-OP Plaza---The Plaza was two historic buildings in the core area downtown, the owner had decided to board them up as they were no longer economically viable. Main Street proposed to the owner a renovation plan of a Plaza shopping center with a budget of $250,000. Main Street with the owner designed, directed and implemented this project. Today the Plaza houses over 20 merchants and is once again an economically viable business center for both the owner of the building and the community that utilizes this historic site. Main Street designed and implementing Community Parks. Main Street raised the required funds, organized volunteers, purchased equipment, and managed the contracts to see the projects through completion.
Main Street has made Clay Street Cemetery a high priority project. After public outcry on the deteriorated state of the oldest cemetery in Fairbanks Main Street began the process of restoration to preserve a national historical site.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Clay Street Cemetery is the oldest Cemetery in the Fairbanks area. The cemetery was officially opened in 1903 and became the resting place for the founders of this community. The cemetery was unofficially closed in 1938 as it was near capacity. Prior to 1974 the cemetery received constant attention as the neighboring Chena River flowing through Fairbanks flooded often requiring the community to provide repairs and restoration on a regular basis. A flood control project completed in 1979 alleviated the flooding. However, major flooding had caused significant damage that has further deteriorated the condition of the grounds beyond the capability of the local non-profit groups in town that provided the continual beautification efforts. In 1982 Clay Street Cemetery was placed on the National Historical Register, designating it as a National Historic Site and is promoted as a Tourist Visitor Destination Site within Alaska.
In the Summer seasons of 1994 & 1995 Main Street administered Job Training Partnership Act Youth Employment grants at the Clay Street Historic site. Main Street employed an Anthropologist to begin the preservation project and evaluate the actual problems while supervising the crew. The Anthropologist's report identified several critical problems within this site needing immediate attention.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Anthropologist Ken Parsons identified several critical problems at Clay Street Cemetery that Main Street finds are correctable with restoration and preservation efforts.
The most pressing problem is casket upheaval which has brought several caskets within 6 inches of the surface. The upheaval was caused by the river flooding combined with cryoturbation, frost heaves and frost jacking. Secondary related problems are that Grave Markers, Head Stones, and Grave Blankets have been shifted to angles and damaged. Sink holes are another secondary problem, they are common throughout the ground and are a result of the grounds settling after the flood control project. As the river no longer floods leaving excessive water in the grounds frost heaves and frost jacking has been reduced to a minimal allowing the ground to settle. The best solution to the casket upheaval and the related secondary problems is to leave the caskets settled as is and to add a new layer of Top Soil to the cemetery grounds using this opportunity to level the Grave Markers, Head Stones, Grave Blankets, and Sink Holes.
Tourists, Friends & Family, Historically interested persons, School Classes, and Senior citizens are all groups who have conveyed that locating grave sites is a continual problem. Mr. Parsons identified lack of documentation and signage as the causes. The time period that the cemetery was being utilized as a burial place did not lend itself to recordkeeping or map creating. Documentation of all burials will require research hours at the University Archives. The Documentation that Main Street has compiled makes it possible to identify the majority of the burial sites. To increase the ability for visitors to identify sites there must be installation of missing headstones, replacement of unreadable and unrepairable grave markers, and a map of the cemetery with a key enabling quick and precise location.
Criminal activities have continued to escalate at the Clay Street Cemetery. Symptoms of the criminal activities include destroyed and missing icons, destruction of grave markers, landscaping uprooted, dismantled perimeter fencing. Public safety is a concern especially in the many months of continual darkness that Interior Alaska experiences. Clay Street Cemetery's original design did not provide for Pedestrian lighting, or Handicap accessibility. User friendly amenities such as a sturdy fencing that can support heavy snow loads and have handicap accessible entrances with installation of lighting will preserve history discourage criminal activities, and increase visitation.

PROJECT OUTLINE

Phase I. 1995

Phase one revealed to us the magnitude of this project as we completed the following:

  1. Up to date plot map. The previous plot map was produced in 1932.
  2. Up to date burial list.
  3. Leveled 21 graves.
  4. Filled several sink holes using 58 yards of Top Soil.
  5. Refinished and repaired 6 wooden grave markers.
  6. Repaired & stabilized 37 rock headstones.
  7. Planted 27 trees.
  8. Raised $2,100 in donations.
  9. Received $4,000 in material donations.
  10. Raised the public awareness borough wide.

Phase II. 1996

  1. Level graves.
  2. Repair damaged headstones.
  3. Purchase and replace headstones. Many graves were never marked and several are unreadable or repairable.
  4. Construct a Log maintenance shed equipped with running water and electrical outlet. Currently there is not any utilities available.
  5. Resurface the existing service road and install pedestrian walking paths.
  6. Install mining dredge buckets for flower planters.
  7. Develop a parking area for visitors.
  8. Install benches, trash receptacles, and a drinking fountain
  9. Spread 150 yards of Top Soil over the grounds to level sink holes and frost heaves.
  10. Landscape the grounds.
  11. Purchase necessary long term maintenance equipment.

Phase III, 1997

  1. Install a wrought Iron fence around the parameter with 3 pedestrian entrances and a service vehicle gate.
  2. Install signage.
  3. Install lighting.
  4. Contract with a group for continual care.

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