Forest Lawn Cemetery – An Update on Needed Repairs
July 26, 2021
Updated July 28, 2021
It’s been widely reported that the mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Laurens is in very bad condition. We’re not talking about a little neglect or disrepair. The roof is in such bad condition that when it rains water leaks around the crypts. Structurally the mausoleum is unstable. The foundation is moving causing the roof to shift and the building to crack.
Family members of those interred in the mausoleum are upset, as they should be. Among those interred in the mausoleum are thirty-eight United States Veterans. The families of who are interred here deserve better than this.
Forest Lawn Cemetery is a perpetual care facility which means there is a fund established to maintain cemetery grounds, graves, crypts, and mausoleums. Families of people buried in the cemetery grounds contribute towards these funds when purchasing plots or crypt space, to ensure the place is clean, well-maintained, and secure.
Even though Forest Lawn Cemetery is a perpetual fund location, families of loved ones buried here have been battling to have much needed repairs made since October 2020 when the roof reached such a bad condition that water began to flow over the face of the crypts when it rained.
The condition of the mausoleum and the overall neglect of the facility is reprehensible. Much has been said about the need for repairs but what is being done to make the repairs a reality?
The BUZZ reached out to Rep. Stewart Jones, Laurens and Greenwood County, SC District 14, to find out what he knows and how he might be of assistance to constituents concerned about this issue.
Here’s what we learned.
Family members of those interred in the mausoleum reached out to Rep. Jones in April of this year after their concerns were not addressed by property management.
Jones contacted the management company out of Pennsylvania, Stonemor, LLC daily until he finally received a call from the manager of the property. He also contacted the Attorney General’s office, Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), and the State Cemetery Board.
Jones has discussed with LLR the revocation of their license and legal action; but that doesn’t fix the serious dilapidation of the property. If the license is revoked and Forest Lawn Cemetery is closed the mausoleum would most likely collapse eventually and the property would be abandoned leaving it in a state of permanent disrepair.
At this point, Jones is having weekly calls with Stonemor regarding updates on the work to repair the mausoleum. According to the project manager, the original company that was contracted to design and build a new mausoleum – Tribute Companies (https://tributeinc.com/) bailed on the project. Another contractor – Matthews Gibraltar Mausoleum (http://matthewsgibraltarmausoleum.com/) has been hired and has started planning construction. The project will be difficult since the mausoleum will have to be raised while a new foundation is built.
On Monday, July 26th, Jones spoke with Glen Rinkowski, Area Vice President of Stonemor, who reported that the blueprints for the reconstruction of the mausoleum have been finalized and they plan to start work very soon. Rinkowski said the cost to restore the mausoleum is $818,000 and that they also plan to include some general beautification to the cemetery.
“Grave sites and mausoleums are essentially memorials to those who are no longer with us,” said Representative Jones. “These resting places are sacred and should always be respected and revered. Those interred here including our Veterans deserve better than this.”
We also reached out to Laurens County officials.
The Laurens County Building Codes department has been aware of the situation and in communication with the owner of the cemetery. On Tuesday, July 27th, Chuck Bobo, Director of Building Codes for the county, placed a condemned notice on the mausoleum. The structure is clearly not up to code and repairs must be made to bring the structure into compliance with the Laurens County building codes.
The BUZZ will continue to keep you posted on the situation. If you have additional information or want to support the efforts being made by Rep. Jones, you can contact him at [email protected] or 864-993-4336.
