Drivers passing through the Hamlet of Wallkill at the corner of Route 208 and Route 300 may catch a glimpse of the Shawangunk Historic Cemetery, a burial site dating back to the late 1860s that became dilapidated over the decades. Joseph Davis, a Life Scout of Walden’s Boy Scout Troop 33, seeks to address the cemetery’s condition and completely restore the site for his Eagle Scout project.

In September 2023, Joseph and his father stopped by the cemetery and examined the gravestones scattered about, most of which were eroded with their names obscured. Joseph was already considering several options for his Eagle Scout project, but seeing this cemetery gave him a clear idea of what he wanted to do.

“One day, we drove by and noticed that this place was run down, and I decided that this would be my project,” Joseph said.

“When we visited the cemetery and looked around, Joseph’s first thought was ‘There should be a bench here so people can sit and reflect on the site,” Mike said.

Since then, Joseph outlined a plan for the burial site and received approval from his troop’s council. The restoration process includes replacing the site’s staircase and fence posts, cleaning the gravestones with a special solution that would reveal their names without dissolving the stone, and installing a bench.

“Joe has been very detail-oriented in expecting the outcome. He wants this to be a place that people visit, and I’ve been very impressed,” Mike said. “As far as his mural compass, he’d rather do this project because no one else had done this yet, and it’s sad.”

Joseph also wants to move all the gravestones to better align with the burials underneath them. How would he pinpoint where each individual was exactly buried? Enter Dan Dannor, director of environmental services for C2G, a company that handles oil tank storage and spills. On the morning of July 11, Dannor spent a few hours combing the entire site with a radar scanner. He detected the remains of more than 10 formerly enslaved persons who were buried there in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This process would normally cost $3,500 but C2G offered to scan the cemetery for free after hearing about Joseph’s project.

“I was very excited when we got the news. Not only am I a local resident but I also drive by this area, so when my company told me about this I was elated,” Dannor said.

Besides C2G, Joseph is not alone in his project and will receive help from his fellow scouts, friends, family, and the American Legion. The group also received $1,500 from the Wallkill Lions Club and will buy materials from Messco Building Supply in Walden and Scott’s Corners Hardware in Montgomery. Joseph is delighted with the progress so far and Mike speculated that the entire project will be completed within a few weekends.