Volunteers and descendants restore Tinicum’s Irwin Cemetery; scouts adopt site

At a Tinicum Township meeting, local volunteers and descendants described recent restoration work at the Irwin Cemetery on River Road and a continuing program of stewardship.

Kathy Arbach, introduced the presentation and framed the cemetery as a tangible link to the township’s 18th‑century history. She said cemeteries and historic landscapes help residents engage visually with local history and urged continued volunteer stewardship.

Bob Cole (who identified himself as a former Tinicum resident) told the board he coordinated work with Scout troops and local volunteers after long-time caretaker Robert Sukup — who lived adjacent to the cemetery — became unable to maintain the site. Cole said descendants led by Kate Flarity raised about $5,400 and that Marv Woodall matched the donation, allowing the group to hire masons to replace about 30 feet of a collapsed brick wall, repoint corners, and remove a large maple tree that had damaged the structure.

"We were able to repair two corners and repoint the wall," Cole said, and he added volunteers plan a scrub-and-clean day to remove fresh mortar haze before moving on to headstone cleaning and seeking a historical plaque to mark the site.

Cole said a newly formed Scout troop adopted the cemetery and visits two to three times per year for maintenance; the volunteer activity also included outreach to Irwin family descendants, who helped raise funds and engagement. The board thanked Cole, the Scouts and other volunteers for preserving the resource.

The township agreed to post the descendant letter and related images on its website so residents can review the documentation and learn about planned volunteer work days.