Vandals knock over veteran tombstones in Franklin

A Franklin Township cemetery that had recently been restored with the help of volunteers has been vandalized.

About 25 tombstones — many of which are of deceased veterans — were damaged at the Union Hill Cemetery, according to caretaker Travis Nothstein.

“Me and (caretaker) Anthony (Frantz) just spotted it a few days ago,” Nothstein said. “We’re not sure when exactly it happened, (but) it had to happen within the last week.”

Nothstein described the tombstones that were vandalized.

“We’re talking mainly Civil War tombstones; most of them are dating from the 1800s to the early 1900s, that are flipped,” he said. “And one monument actually busted when it came down.”

While they’ve since been able to put some of the tombstones back up to where they need to be, Nothstein said there are more that still need to be restored.

“We got pretty many of them up; there’s a few that are still there but are too heavy to put up,” he said. “I got heavy equipment, but I have to work around the weather.”

Nothstein said both he and Frantz are frustrated by the acts, especially after all the work they along with volunteers put into restoring the cemetery since August.

“We were disgusted that it went to this level,” he said. “We’d like to know what people are thinking, and what kind of kicks they get out of destroying people’s tombstones, especially veterans from the Civil War; that’s historic artifacts.” Nothstein said they’re hoping whoever is responsible for the vandalism will come forward.

Anyone with information can call 610-714-1898, or 484-695-5147.