Scout Earns His Badge & Norwalk's Thanks

Sam Oster spent a lot of time last summer straightening tombstones and clearing brush from an old Norwalk cemetery. The project seemed like a natural for the high school senior. "I hope to be an engineer or an architect, but I've just always had a thing for history," he said.

In recognition of the success of his restoration of the city-owned Brookside Cemetery in Rowayton, Sam, a Boy Scout with Troop 2, was awarded his Eagle Scout badge. David Westmoreland, a member of the Norwalk Historical Commission, says Sam's project not only beautified a significant property, it also saved the city a lot of money.

Sam lined up other scouts and family friends to help with the tombstones, which date to the mid-1700s. "We set them straight because they were at angles," Sam said. "Then we filled stones in, to kind of give it a foundation and then we piled it back in with dirt. We patted it down to strengthen the base of the foundation and we did that for 25 of them."

They also cleared a lot of brush, took out a sign that no longer had any meaning and replenished the gravel in the parking lot and the woodchips on the path.

Westmoreland said a professional conservator would probably have charged about $500 to reset each of the tombstones. "We've been trying to restore the four city-owned cemeteries, and the work Sam did was really a critical part of getting us to the point where we're almost finished with the restoration at Brookside," Westmoreland said.

There are 10 tombstones left, and they will require professional attention. Westmoreland expects the cemetery to be completely restored by the end of the year.

The trained tombstone conservator oversaw Sam’s work on the cemetery last summer. "It was a lot of work and he managed all the kids really well," Westmoreland said. "It's gratifying to see, on these Eagle projects, their leadership styles actually develop during the workday itself. In the morning they're getting organized, they're not sure of their authority and leadership, by the end of the day they're running the show. It's very impressive, and Sam did a great job."

Do you like touring old cemeteries? Have you noticed the improvement at Brookside? Let Sam know, comment below! 

Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.