Clarkson students clean about 170 gravestones at Potsdam cemetery

Clarkson University honors students cleaned about 170 gravestones this semester at Bayside Cemetery in Potsdam, continuing a partnership that helps preserve the historic cemetery while providing volunteer service for students.

The students used scrubs, scrapers, spray bottles and toothbrushes during the work. The partnership with the Bayside Cemetery Association is in its third year, and another group of honors students is expected to continue the project next fall.

Bayside Cemetery was established in 1865 by Potsdam residents, with its first burial in 1867. About 720 graves were later moved there from older village cemeteries on Willow Street and Pierrepont Avenue. The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Bayside Cemetery and Gatehouse Complex.

Older markers at Bayside have tipped or sagged because many were set directly in soil before concrete became common. Clarkson student groups have also helped with footstone repairs and leaf cleanups. The cemetery is operated by the Bayside Cemetery Association, a nonprofit run by volunteer trustees and a small staff.

Groups or volunteers interested in helping can contact the association at info@baysidepotsdam.org or 315-265-3790. Donations can be mailed to Bayside Cemetery Association, PO Box 491, Potsdam, NY 13676, or made through the association’s donation page. Updates are available through the association’s announcements page.