Imperial Monuments of Berks County

Imperial Monuments of Berks County is a monument maker based in Shillington, Pennsylvania, operating from a location at the Farmers Market at 10 S Summit Ave. The business designs, produces and installs cemetery memorials, including upright headstones, flat grave markers, companion monuments, bronze plaques and related memorial products. It is a women-owned business, and customers most often work directly with Tracy, who handles design consultations, lettering layouts and coordination with cemeteries.

The company serves families throughout Berks County and the surrounding region of southeastern Pennsylvania, including Reading, Wyomissing, Mohnton, Sinking Spring, Birdsboro, Kutztown and the smaller boroughs and townships that ring the county. Because cemetery memorial work is generally arranged in advance and delivered over a period of weeks or months, the service area extends comfortably beyond the immediate Shillington area.

Products and Services

The core of the business is granite memorial work. Typical projects include:

• Upright headstones and monuments in single and companion sizes
• Flush and bevel grave markers designed to sit level with or slightly above the ground
• Slant markers and pillow markers
• Granite and bronze bases, foundations and vase attachments
• Cremation memorials, including smaller monuments designed to hold or mark cremated remains
• Family monuments that accommodate multiple names and future dates
• Civic, veteran and organizational markers

Beyond traditional cemetery stones, Imperial Monuments carries a range of keepsake and personal memorial items. These include cremation jewelry, hand blown glass pieces that incorporate a small portion of ashes, and memorial garden plaques. Pet memorials are also available, which is a category not every monument dealer stocks. For families who want something that stays at home rather than at a cemetery, these smaller items provide an alternative or a complement to a grave marker.

Restoration and replacement work is another part of the business. Older markers can become illegible from weathering, lichen growth, settling foundations or damage. Imperial Monuments handles cleaning, resetting, re-lettering where possible, and full replacement when a marker has deteriorated beyond repair. Families who inherit responsibility for a neglected family plot often start with a site evaluation to determine what can be salvaged and what needs to be remade.

The Design Process

Choosing a memorial involves more decisions than most people expect, and the process at Imperial Monuments is structured to work through them one at a time. A typical consultation covers:

• Cemetery rules. Most cemeteries have written regulations governing permitted materials, maximum dimensions, whether upright monuments are allowed in a given section, and foundation requirements. These rules are confirmed before a design is finalized.
• Stone selection. Granite is available in a range of natural colors, from the common gray and black to red, mahogany, pink and blue tones. Color affects how engraving reads and how the stone weathers.
• Shape and finish. Options include serpentine tops, straight tops, oval tops, and various edge treatments such as polished, steeled or rock pitched faces.
• Lettering. Font style, letter size, spacing and depth all influence legibility. Names, dates, and inscriptions are laid out to scale before production begins.
• Artwork and etching. Religious symbols, florals, landscapes, military insignia, occupational emblems, portraits and laser etched photographs can be added. Laser etching works best on dark polished granite.
• Additional elements. Vases, ceramic photographs, QR plaques and bronze accents are available depending on cemetery policy.

Proofs are reviewed with the family before anything is cut, which prevents the kind of spelling or date errors that are permanent once engraved. Customers have consistently described this stage as the part where having an experienced guide matters most, since the sheer number of options can be difficult to narrow down without help.

Pricing and Budget

Memorial pricing depends on the size and weight of the stone, the granite color, the amount of engraving, and whether a foundation needs to be poured. Flat markers are generally the least expensive option, while large companion uprights with extensive artwork sit at the higher end. Imperial Monuments works with families to find a design that fits a stated budget rather than presenting a single price point, and quotes are provided before work begins so there are no surprises at delivery.

Cemetery fees are a separate cost in most cases. Many cemeteries charge a setting fee or require that their own crew pour the foundation. Asking about these charges early helps families understand the full cost of a memorial project.

Timeline

Granite memorials are not stock items. After a design is approved, the stone is quarried or pulled from inventory, cut, polished, engraved and shipped, then set at the cemetery. Depending on the complexity of the design, the season and the cemetery's installation schedule, this process commonly takes several weeks to a few months. Winter can delay installation in Pennsylvania because frozen ground prevents foundation work. Families planning for a specific anniversary, birthday or holiday are encouraged to start the conversation well ahead of that date.

Location and Accessibility

The Shillington location inside the Farmers Market gives the business an unusually approachable storefront. Rather than requiring an appointment at a stone yard, visitors can stop by while doing other errands, look at sample stones and keepsake items, and ask questions without commitment. Several customers have noted that they first encountered the business simply by walking past the stand.

The premises are wheelchair accessible, with an accessible entrance, accessible parking, accessible restrooms and accessible seating. This matters in a business where clients are frequently older adults or people managing health issues alongside a recent loss.

Contact and Practical Notes

The business can be reached by phone at +1 610-927-6716. Contact by email is also possible through the address listed on the company's web materials.

Families preparing for a first visit find it useful to bring the following:

• The cemetery name, section and lot or plot number
• A copy of the cemetery's monument regulations, if available
• Exact spellings of names and correct dates
• Any photographs, symbols or wording to be included
• Measurements or photos of an existing marker, if matching or replacing one

Pre-need memorial planning, where a person arranges their own marker in advance or a couple sets up a companion stone with one date left open, is also handled. This removes a decision from survivors at a difficult moment and locks in current pricing.