Sandstone Society contributes towards new doors for chapel at Kendall cemetery

Photo by Tom Rivers: Kendall Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata stands at the chapel at Beechwood Cemetery. The Medina Sandstone Society contributed $1,400 towards new doors for the chapel which has been hit with vandalism in recent years. The town recently put a new roof on the sandstone structure which was built in 1898.

KENDALL – The Medina Sandstone Society has approved a $1,400 grant to assist the Town of Kendall with new doors for a sandstone chapel at Beechwood Cemetery.

The new doors will protect the chapel from vandalism on the inside of the building which was constructed in 1898.

Sandstone Society President Matt Holland said the organization wanted to help the town in preserving and safeguarding the historic building.

Provided photo: Matt Holland, president of the Medina Sandstone Society, recently presented a check for $1,400 from the Medina Sandstone Society to Kendall Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata. The money goes towards new doors on a chapel at Beechwood Cemetery.

Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata said the town appreciates the assistance from the Sandstone Society. Cammarata said the total cost of the new doors will be about $3,500.

“It’s a big help,” he said about the $1,400 grant.

He also is thankful the Medina Sandstone Society is looking to assist with preservation projects outside its immediate target area of Medina.

“This sends a message the Sandstone Society is for all of Orleans County,” Camarrata said.

The Town of Kendall Highway Department recently worked on the roof of the chapel. With the new doors, Cammarata expects the building will be used to store lawn mowers and equipment. It also will keep out vandals.

“It’s a beautiful little chapel,” Cammarata said.

Holland said the Sandstone Society commends the Town of Kendall for working to preserve the chapel. The Sandstone Society is looking to partner with organizations to maintain historic sandstone buildings.

“This is really at the heart of why the Sandstone Society was created in the first place,” Holland said about the organization, which originally formed to save the Medina Armory and find a new use for the site (which later became the YMCA). “I look forward to doing more projects like this.”

The Sandstone Society also approved a $2,500 grant towards a memorial at Boxwood Cemetery in Medina for the 107 people buried in the potter’s field. Of those 107, only 28 have head stones. The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery would like to install a plaque in the cemetery listing all 107 people.