The Zinc Tombstone

Yesterday I paid a visit to Buckingham cemetery in Berlin Maryland.  While there I came across this nice example of a Zinc/white bronze tombstone.

The tombstone is for Doctor Robert J. Bowen - April 27, 1827 to December 12, 1914.  Dr Bowen is the son of  Robert Fleming Bowen and Andasia Ironshire whose tombstones set to the right of Dr Bowen's.   Robert J. Bowen was born in the Berlin area.  In 1853 he graduated from the American Eclectic Medical college in Cincinnati Ohio.   He practice medicine in Northern New Jersey but kept a summer home in the Berlin area.  When he was in his 70's he returned to the Berlin area and lived with his brother, William, until his death.

The Zinc Tombstone was made of sand cast zinc and were made between 1875 to 1914 when the government took over the production of the Monumental Bronze company for WW1 war material production.  The zinc has a bluish gray color.  This type of monument tend to be a rare find in our area.  The tombstone could be fitted with additional plates to bolt on to the marker as additional family members died.  As you can see above the plate with the Robert Bowen information is held on by four bolts.  This example looks quite nice with it bluish color and there are no stains or cracks that I saw.  For a monument that will be a hundred years old shortly, based on his death date, it is in excellent shape.