American Monument& Granite Co.
(330) 325-2500
American Monument& Granite Co.
(330) 325-2500
A monument is meant to last for generations, but time, weather, and settling ground take a toll. We clean, restore, and repair existing memorials, and add new inscriptions, so a family stone keeps its dignity.
Not every visit to us is for a new monument. Families come to us to freshen a stone that has weathered, to reset one that has leaned or sunk, or to add a date when a spouse has passed. If it is granite, marble, or bronze, we can almost certainly help.
We treat an existing memorial with the same care we give our own work. We will look at photos or visit the cemetery, tell you honestly what can be done, and handle the cleaning, restoration, or repair from start to finish. Plenty of routine washing a family can do themselves with water and a soft brush, and our guide to cleaning a headstone safely gives the method along with the products that permanently damage granite.
This is work that happens at the graveside rather than in the shop, so where the stone stands matters. We travel to cemeteries throughout Portage, Summit, and Stark Counties, from Ravenna, Kent, and Streetsboro to Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Canton, and Massillon. If the monument is somewhere in those three counties, we can come and look at it.
When a surviving spouse passes, we add the final date and any new lettering to the existing monument, matched to the original engraving as closely as the stone allows.
We safely clean lichen, staining, and decades of weather from granite and marble, bringing a faded stone and its lettering back to life.
We repair monuments that have cracked, toppled, or been damaged, and reset stones that have leaned or settled, on a fresh, level foundation.
We handle cemetery permits and foundation work throughout the area, so the memorial sits straight and secure for years to come.
Bronze weathers differently from stone and needs its own treatment. We clean, refinish, and re-wax bronze markers and plaques, and reset ones that have worked loose from their granite base.
Nineteenth-century marble, limestone, and sandstone are far softer than granite and are damaged by the methods that work on it. We assess older stones properly, and we will tell you when the honest answer is to leave one alone.
Tell us about your loved one, in our shop or by phone.
We design the memorial and proof every detail with you.
Your monument is cut and finished by hand, here in Ravenna.
We handle the foundation and set the stone at the cemetery.
Yes. Adding an inscription date for a surviving spouse is one of the most common things we do. We match the new lettering to the existing engraving as closely as the stone allows, and we can do the work at the cemetery.
Often, yes. We safely clean weathered granite and marble and repair stones that have cracked, leaned, or settled. Send us a photo or tell us the cemetery, anywhere in Portage, Summit, or Stark County, and we will give you an honest assessment of what can be done before you spend anything.
Yes, and we do it constantly. Most of the stones we clean, reset, and re-letter were made by someone else, often long before we opened in 2004. It makes no difference to how we treat the memorial or to how we quote the work.
Usually. Rust staining comes from metal left against the stone, typically a flower vase, a wire flag holder, or a shepherd's hook that spent a winter leaning on it, and the iron migrates into the surface where ordinary washing cannot reach it. It needs a product matched to the material rather than a hardware-store rust remover, which is acidic and leaves a permanent pale burn on polished granite. Send us a photograph and we will tell you what is realistic.
For routine dirt and green film on granite, absolutely, and we will gladly tell you how. Water, a soft brush, and patience handle most of it, and families tell us it is meaningful work to do themselves. Stop and call us if the stone is cracked, leaning, or unstable on its base, if it is older marble with a rough or sugary surface, or if you are looking at rust, paint, or a stain you cannot identify. Those are the ones where a first attempt can make the job harder.
Not to begin with. Photographs of the stone, its base, and whatever you are concerned about will usually tell us what we need, and it saves everybody a trip. We travel to cemeteries throughout Portage, Summit, and Stark Counties when a monument needs to be seen or worked on in place.
When you're ready, our family is here to help yours, with patience, care, and no obligation.
Start Their Memorial →