By Wesley Harris
Lincoln Parish is commemorating the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1873. This is part of the LPJ’s examination of the early days of our parish.
The broken grave marker of the man credited with the creation of Lincoln Parish in 1873, and that of his wife, have been repaired through the generosity of a local monument company.
John Brown of Brown’s Monument and Stone of Dubach saw a request for donations to restore the markers. The Lincoln Parish Museum and the Lincoln Parish Sesquicentennial Committee sought funds to make the repairs because of the Greenes’s significant role in the early days of the parish.
As soon as Brown saw the plea, he visited the Lincoln Parish Museum to offer to repair both markers at no charge.
“We wanted to do this as a public service,” Brown said. “The Greenes were an important part of local history.”
Allen Greene and his wife Mahala and members of their family are buried in Pecan Grove Cemetery on Louisiana Highway 822 just off the White Lightning Road where they ran a large farm, tannery, and shoe factory. Greene created his own short-lived political dynasty, for a time controlling every elected and appointed office in the parish.
The final resting place for the Greenes is marked by the largest monuments in the small community graveyard. Recently, both markers suffered significant damage and the museum and the sesquicentennial committee wanted to do something about it.
It appears the obelisk atop Mahala Greene’s monument fell off, possibly striking Allen’s marker and breaking it into two pieces. Mahala’s marker was cleaned and repaired on site, but Allen’s—wearing over 300 pounds—was taken to Brown’s shop for more extensive repair. A special epoxy was used to reconnect the broken pieces.
“This particular marble is pretty porous and very stained after all the years of fungus growth,” Brown said. “We used a cleaning solution on the stones to remove the stains and growth. Mahala Greene’s monument was not damaged, but the obelisk stone had fallen off the marble base. We used a sealer material between the two pieces to bond them back together.”
“I was thrilled when John came by the museum,” director Rick Godley said. “The Sesquicentennial Committee wanted to see this happen since this is the 150th anniversary of Allen Greene’s bill creating the parish. We expected to have to raise funds to pay a professional to repair and remount the stones, restoring them to their original appearance as much as possible.”
“Before we received the first check, that professional walked in the door and offered to do it for free.”
“I am pleased with how they turned out considering the age of the marble,” Brown said. “I hope everyone is pleased with the results. We appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this project.”
Museum members also worked on cleaning other markers in the Greene plot and improving its appearance.
Lincoln Parish Journal’s earlier reporting on this story may be found at https://lincolnparishjournal.com/2023/04/18/grave-of-lincoln-parish-founder-damaged/
