Over the past year, we’ve been quietly exploring new ways to enhance our documentation and preservation of Scioto County’s historic cemeteries. One tool that’s proven invaluable is Polycam, a 3D scanning app that allows us to capture high-resolution, interactive scans of gravemarkers.
These scans have helped us in a number of ways—deciphering worn or weathered inscriptions, capturing details under poor lighting conditions, and documenting unique or complex markers that are difficult to interpret through photographs alone. Now, we’re excited to begin sharing these scans on our website.
Our first featured scan comes from Kinney-Briggs Cemetery, and highlights the marble monument of John Kinney Briggs, along with his first wife Mary Miller Briggs, his second wife Malinda J. Briggs, and their four children. This impressive marker, located beneath a dense green canopy, has become disarticulated and unlevel over time. Although the primary die containing names and dates is still visible, it can be extremely difficult to read—especially during the summer months when natural light is limited.
Markers like this one, while large and seemingly durable, are not immune to the effects of time and gravity. We’ve come across several similar monuments over the years that have toppled from their base, sometimes leaving crucial information face-down and inaccessible without special equipment. With 3D scanning, we can now preserve and share this information before it’s lost.
Stay tuned as we continue to build this digital archive of Scioto County’s cemeterial heritage—one scan at a time.
