CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — It's been more than a decade since the Roger Williams Park Mausoleum in Cranston was deemed legally abandoned and left in a state of disrepair. The mausoleum was first built in 1917 and at one point was the final resting place of more than 500 Rhode Islanders. It was considered formally abandoned by a judge back in 2012, nine years after the former owners passed away. Dozens of bodies were removed from the mausoleum and brought to the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery back in 2019, but the city estimates roughly 400 are still inside. The mausoleum has been targeted by vandals and trespassers over the years, with caskets having been ripped open and rifled through for valuables. Neither the state nor the city have taken responsibility for the mausoleum, leaving the families of those interred in legal limbo. RELATED: Hundreds still entombed at crumbing Cranston mausoleum Bradford Jones believes three of his loved ones are still inside the mausoleum, including his great-grandmother. "I would love to move my great-grandmother to a more permanent spot, but being retired on a fixed income, I'm not able to do that," Jones explained. "It puts a burden on you because you want to treat your family right." The city boarded up the mausoleum in 2021 and made plans to remove the rest of the remains, but the nearly $500,000 price tag has made it difficult for them to follow through. Brad Jones holds up a picture of his great-grandmother, who he believes in interred at the mausoleum in Cranston. Cranston Chief of Staff Anthony Moretti had hoped the state would step in and assist the city by footing, at the very last, a portion of the bill. "I think it's a state issue," he explained at the time, adding that not everyone interred in the mausoleum is from Cranston. Nearly four years later, Moretti said the city has been unable to identify potential funding sources that would make the move possible. The city has made it clear that it will accommodate families who wish to relocate their loved ones, but Jones told Target 12 it would still cost him roughly $5,000 per person, even with their assistance. Jones said he doesn't mind pitching in for the moving costs, but he believes the state should also lend a hand. "I think the state bears some responsibility, and I would like to see them assume that responsibility," Jones said. Christine Demarco, who has lived next to the mausoleum for 21 years, has taken it upon herself to ensure that the deteriorating building ages gracefully. "I've fought the good fight over the years," Demarco explained, noting that she pushed for the mausoleum's preservation. "But my relationship with the building has changed." Demarco told Target 12 that over time, she has come to accept the building's condition for what it is. "We can't change what is happening to this building," she continued. "So, how can we honor, with grace and dignity, what is happening to the building?" Demarco has spent countless hours cleaning the property and making it look as presentable as possible, despite its crumbling interior. "[The property] is being restored, in this odd way, into what it used to be, and I've made my peace with that," she said. Demarco said the city has "done its job" by securing the building and clearing it of invasive overgrowth. She plans on restoring the stairs leading up to the mausoleum at some point, but in order to do that, she needs the city to remove the decaying wooden ones first. "I feel like this is my destiny," she said, referring to becoming the unofficial caretaker of the mausoleum and its neighboring cemetery. Demarco told Target 12 she is always looking for assistance with maintaining and restoring the property. "I can't do it single-handedly," she explained. "It's the volunteers and the gracious nature that pull all of this together." Target 12 reached out to Gov. Dan McKee regarding the mausoleum, to which a spokesperson explained that the state has no legal obligation to the building. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW