Why Work With Us?

Grave St at Ues Dealer
in NJ

Hand-carved artistic/sculptural headstones by Memorial Statue Shop — 80+ years in Morris County, NJ.

Headstone Specialists — Single, double & flat headstones

Companion Headstones — Side-by-side memorial pairs

Veteran Headstones — VA-compatible military headstones

Custom Granite Carving — Hand-carved in Morris County

Photo-Etched Portraits — High-contrast relief portraits

Headstone Restoration — Restore aged & weathered stone

Cemetery Compliance — Every headstone meets cemetery rules

Foundation Installation — Below frost-line, level-set

American-Made Granite — Domestic & select imported stone

Over 80 Years in NJ — Family-owned since 1945

All 14 NJ Counties — Statewide installation

Multilingual Service — English · Russian · Polish

Call (201) 297-4344 Get a Free Consultation

Serving all of New Jersey · English, Russian, Polish

granite Grave Statue hand-carved by Memorial Statue Shop in NJ — image 1

Headstones

Over 80 Years in NJ

Ready When You Are

Talk to a Memorial Statue Shop craftsman today.

Call, email, schedule a free quote, or visit the showroom in person. Real people answer the phone Monday through Saturday.

Call (201) 297-4344 Email Us Schedule a Free Quote Visit Our Showroom

Service Area

Serving All 14 NJ Counties

Our workshop is in Morris County, NJ, but the custom sculptural work our artisans produce travels across every one of New Jersey’s 14 counties. From Bergen and Passaic in the north to Ocean and Monmouth along the shore, Memorial Statue Shop’s installation crews handle delivery and cemetery-compliant setting of every grave statue and sculptural headstone we carve. Families come to the Madison showroom to begin the commission, and we bring the finished work to the cemetery. The stone never passes through a middleman. We carve it, we deliver it, we set it.

Morris
Bergen
Essex
Passaic
Hudson
Union
Sussex
Warren
Hunterdon
Somerset
Middlesex
Mercer
Monmouth
Ocean

Cemetery Guide

Cemetery Compliance Guide

Cemetery Regulations

Sculptural grave monuments face stricter cemetery review than standard flat markers. Most New Jersey cemeteries have specific rules governing the height, footprint, and structural attachment of any freestanding sculpture placed on a lot. Before our artisans begin work on a commissioned grave statue, we contact the cemetery’s monument superintendent to confirm exactly what dimensions and attachment methods are permitted. Some cemeteries require structural engineering documentation for sculptures above a certain height; others restrict three-dimensional statuary entirely in certain sections. We identify these constraints early — in the commission phase, not after the carving is done.

Foundation Requirements

A freestanding grave statue exerts more lateral force on its foundation than a standard upright headstone, particularly in the freeze-thaw conditions of northern New Jersey winters. Our artisans design the base of each sculpture with foundation requirements in mind: adequate footprint, appropriate anchor points, and material thickness that distributes the statue’s weight effectively. On installation day, our crew pours or verifies the concrete sub-base to the depth the cemetery requires — typically deeper for sculptural work than for standard monuments — and uses epoxy and mechanical anchors where the cemetery permits them. The result is a statue that stands as the artisan intended, year after year.

Religious Cemetery Considerations

Sculptural grave memorials carry particular significance in faith cemetery contexts. Catholic cemeteries across Morris and Essex counties have long accepted angel statuary, crucifix sculptures, and relief-carved religious panels as appropriate grave monuments. Eastern Orthodox cemeteries, where many of our Russian-speaking families bury their loved ones, often call for specific iconographic forms — particular cross designs, Madonna figures, or relief portraits framed within traditional borders. Jewish cemetery traditions generally favor non-figurative memorial forms, which our artisans accommodate through geometric relief carving, inscribed panels, and abstract sculptural base elements rather than figurative statuary. We serve families in English, Russian, and Polish and bring cultural literacy to every commission.

Our Collection

Our Artistic/Sculptural Headstones Collection

Grave Statue

A grave statue is one of the most demanding commissions in the stonecutting trade. Bringing three-dimensional form out of a solid block of granite requires a different skill set than lettering or relief carving: the artisan must think volumetrically, reading the block for its structural integrity as well as its sculptural potential. Memorial Statue Shop’s workshop carries this tradition forward from an old-world Italian carving lineage, where freestanding funerary sculpture was considered the apex of the craft. Our artisans work the stone from all sides, roughing out the primary form with larger chisels before moving to finer tools for detail work — facial features, fabric folds, wing feathers, floral elements, hands. The process is entirely 100% hand-carved, no machinery substituting for the judgment and sensitivity that only a trained hand can apply. Commissions include freestanding angel figures in various poses, draped cross statues, kneeling figure monuments, and custom portrait statues based on photographs of the deceased. Each piece is carved from American-made granite chosen for density, consistency of color, and structural soundness. The finished statue is anchored to a granite base — also hand-tooled in our Morris County workshop — which carries the inscribed name, dates, and any additional text the family chooses.

Unspecified Options

Beyond freestanding statuary, Memorial Statue Shop’s sculptural capabilities extend to high-relief panel carvings — scenes or figures carved in significant depth into a flat granite face, creating a three-dimensional effect within the plane of the headstone. Portrait headstones with laser-etched photographic likenesses combined with hand-tooled border and lettering work are a frequently requested hybrid option. Etched portrait panels, where a photograph of the deceased is rendered with fine detail on polished black granite, are another specialty from our Morris County bench. Custom artistic commissions — where a family brings a concept that does not fit a standard category — are exactly the kind of work our artisans find most meaningful. Reach out to discuss any vision, however specific.

Custom Design Process

Custom sculptural commissions follow a structured sequence. The first meeting is a working conversation — our artisan or senior designer sits with the family to understand the subject, the desired form, the cemetery’s constraints, and any reference materials available. From this conversation, we prepare a detailed design document or 3D study that the family reviews and approves. Material selection follows: the specific granite block is examined for color consistency, grain tightness, and structural integrity before it enters the workshop. Carving proceeds in stages, with photographs shared at key milestones so the family can see the work developing. Because our artisans work exclusively by hand — no machinery does the shaping — a full sculptural commission takes more time than a standard headstone, and that time is built into the project schedule from the start. The result is a singular piece of work that will stand in a New Jersey cemetery for generations.

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Our Process

Our Hand-Carving Process

Sculptural commissions at Memorial Statue Shop move through six distinct stages, each one essential to the integrity of the finished piece. Stage one is the commission consultation. Our artisan or senior designer meets with the family, reviews any reference photographs or sketches, and assesses the cemetery’s dimensional requirements. Stage two is design development: we prepare a detailed drawing or 3D study of the proposed sculpture for family review. Revisions at this stage are welcome and expected — the design agreement sets everything that follows. Stage three is block selection. American-made granite is inspected for grain consistency, color uniformity, and structural soundness before the block enters the workshop. Stage four is roughing: using larger chisels and point tools, the artisan establishes the primary three-dimensional form, removing material to reveal the general shape of the figure or design element. Stage five is finish carving. Working progressively from broader tools to finer ones, the artisan develops surface detail — facial features, drapery, feathers, hands, lettering on the base. This is where 80+ years of old-world Italian carving tradition is most visible: in the patience, the touch, and the judgment about when a surface is right. Stage six is delivery and installation. Our crew sets the completed statue on a prepared foundation at the cemetery, anchors it per the cemetery’s specifications, and documents the finished installation for the family.

Voices

What Families Say

New Jersey families have entrusted us with their memorials for three generations.

“The angel our artisan carved for my grandmother’s grave is unlike anything I’ve seen in a New Jersey cemetery. You can see the individual feathers in the wings, the detail in the face. Several visitors to the cemetery have stopped to ask who made it. The work is extraordinary.” — Nataliya, Essex County NJ

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not see your question here, call us.

How long does it take to design and install a artistic/sculptural headstones?

A fully custom grave statue or sculptural headstone typically takes longer than a standard memorial — the design development phase alone may require several weeks of back-and-forth before carving begins, and the hand-carving of a complex figure can take many additional weeks in the workshop. Simpler relief-carving commissions move faster. At the commission consultation, our artisans give an honest timeline estimate specific to the complexity of the piece. We do not rush sculptural work; the quality of the result depends on the time we take.

Do you serve cemeteries throughout New Jersey?

Yes. Memorial Statue Shop installs custom sculptural headstones and grave statues throughout all 14 New Jersey counties. We are based in Morris County, NJ, and our installation crews travel statewide. For sculptural commissions, we coordinate in advance with the cemetery’s monument department to confirm dimensional requirements and anchoring specifications, and we handle all installation logistics.

Are your memorials cemetery-compliant?

Cemetery compliance is especially important for sculptural work, which is subject to more detailed review than standard flat markers. Memorial Statue Shop contacts every cemetery before carving begins to confirm the allowable height, footprint, and anchoring method for freestanding statuary. If a cemetery restricts three-dimensional sculpture in a particular section, we will advise the family before any work is committed and propose compliant alternatives such as high-relief carving or portrait panels.

Can I bring my own design or photo?

Yes, and for portrait-based commissions a photograph is essential. Our artisans work from multiple reference photos of the subject to render a hand-carved likeness that captures genuine resemblance rather than a generic idealized face. Families may also bring sketches, artistic references, or descriptions of sculptural forms they have admired, and our design team builds from that input. Every commission starts as a conversation.

Do you offer veteran companion markers?

Yes. Custom sculptural commissions for veterans can incorporate military emblems, branch statuary elements, and service commemorations in formats that go well beyond standard engraved markers. Our artisans have carved branch-specific insignia in relief, figured drapery with military motifs, and portrait statues honoring veterans. We advise families on how a custom sculptural piece interacts with VA-furnished government stone programs and cemetery regulations for veterans’ sections.

What languages do you serve families in?

Yes — English, Russian, and Polish.

Showroom & Gallery

See Grave St at Ues in Person

Browse a few of the stones we have set, then come visit us in person. Sample stones, finishes, and lettering are all on display.

Memorial Statue Shop Madison, NJ 07940

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Headstones · Serving all of New Jersey

Schedule a Free Consultation Today

We serve families across Morris, Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Hudson counties and all of New Jersey. Fill out the form, drop by the showroom, or call us. Real people answer the phone Monday through Saturday.

Request Your Free Consultation

A specialist contacts you within one business day. House calls available across Morris County and the surrounding region.

Grave St at Ues Dealerin NJ