Preservation and Restoration Project

Plank Road #236 has adopted the Old Village Cemetery Restoration Project as its yearly community service. In conjunction with the Brighton Area Historical Society, and material donated by the City of Brighton, these Questers clean the old and restored headstones so that inscription data can be easily read.

The main focus of this project is to recognize and maintain the headstones of the 35 Civil War Veterans who rest in the cemetery, as well as over 150 other headstones of Brighton residents that have become broken, badly weathered or sunken. Among the notable deceased residents is Scott Bingham, 11th Governor of Michigan, U.S. congressman, and U.S. Senator during the Civil War. Additionally, the 500 pound headstone of Lt. Colonel John Gilluly was recently restored and commemorated. Gilluly was killed in 1862 at the Battle of Fredricksburg, Virginia serving for the Union Army. The mission of this preservation and restoration project is to provide a tangible link to the rich historical past of the Brighton Community.