31 Oct 2024

Geotechnical Investigation of Mare Island Naval Cemetery

Abstract: The Mare Island Naval Cemetery is located just outside of Vallejo, California. This historic naval cemetery was inspected in November 2022, and signs of slope instability were identified. Two follow-up inspections were conducted by geotechnical engineers and geologists from the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center. A preliminary site investigation showed that desiccation cracking was present and that seepage at the toe of the cemetery slope could contribute to long-term stability issues. Historic vegetation had also recently been cleared, exposing the soils and headstones. If left unaddressed, these factors could lead to slope instability at the site. Increased monitoring, regular surveys, seepage remediation, and reestablishment of vegetation are recommended to prevent future instabilities.

10 Jul 2024

Historic Landscape Inventory for Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky

Abstract: This project was undertaken to provide the US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, with a cultural landscape inventory of Zachary Taylor National Cemetery via funding from the St Louis Mandatory Center of Expertise (MCX) for the Curation and Management of Archaeological Collections (CMAC). The 16-acre cemetery, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, is found in Louisville, Kentucky, and contains more than 11,400 burials. The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center-Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) was tasked with inventorying and assessing the cultural landscape at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery through the creation of a landscape development context, a description of current conditions, and an analysis of changes to the cultural landscape over time. All landscape features were included in the survey as federal policy on national cemeteries requires that all national cemetery landscape features be considered contributing elements, regardless of age. The historic landscape elements of the cemetery, like the original overarching Beaux-Arts plan and circulation, cannot be restored due to the current number of burials. However, some elements can be reemphasized by historic landscape management planning, such as the restoration of the portions of the allée of pin oak (Quercus palustris) trees.

10 Jul 2024

Historic Landscape Inventory for Mare Island Naval Cemetery, California

Abstract: This project was undertaken to provide the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA), with a cultural land-scape inventory of Mare Island Naval Cemetery. The approximately 2.5-acre cemetery is located in Vallejo, California, and contains more than 900 burials. Mare Island Naval Cemetery is part of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard historic district, which was listed concurrently on the National Register of Historic Places and as a National Historic Landmark in 1975. The NCA tasked the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center-Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) with inventorying and assessing the cultural landscape at Mare Island Naval Cemetery through the creation of a landscape development context, a description of current conditions, and an analysis of changes to the cultural landscape over time. All landscape features were included in the inventory as NCA requested ERDC-CERL to follow federal policy on national cemeteries that requires that all national cemetery landscape features be considered contributing elements, regardless of age.