What is the oldest Cemetery in Philadelphia?

What is the oldest Cemetery in Philadelphia?

Laurel Hill Cemetery

Location 3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 40°00′14″N 75°11′15″WCoordinates: 40°00′14″N 75°11′15″W
Built 1836-1839
Architect John Notman
Significant dates

Who owns Laurel Hill Cemetery?

Smith’s very personal experience ultimately had very public implications, as less than one year later, this grieving father founded Laurel Hill Cemetery with partners Nathan Dunn, Benjamin W. Richards and Frederick Brown.

When was Laurel Hill Cemetery established?

1836
John Jay Smith, a Quaker and librarian of The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded Laurel Hill Cemetery in 1836 after he was unable to locate the final resting place of his daughter in a city cemetery.

How many acres is Laurel Hill Cemetery?

78 acres
Laurel Hill’s 78 acres hold over 75,000 souls and more than 30,000 monuments. When was the first burial at Laurel Hill Cemetery? The first burial was that of Mercy Carlisle on October 21, 1836.

Where is Ben Franklin buried?

Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Benjamin Franklin/Place of burial

Where is General Mercer buried?

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Hugh Mercer/Place of burial

How much does it cost to be buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery?

Today, Laurel Hill Cemetery still has ample space available to purchase single graves and family lots. Prices begin at $2,500 per single grave and increase depending upon desired location of the property. Interments are provided seven days a week with increased rates for weekend burials.

Can you bring dogs to Laurel Hill Cemetery?

DOGS. Dog walkers are welcome in Laurel Hill Cemetery and expected to follow the below guidelines: Dogs must remain leashed at all times. Dog owners must clean up after their pets.

What do people put on Ben Franklin’s grave?

The worn marble ledger tablet that marks Franklin’s grave developed a significant crack over time caused by water damage. The tens of thousands of pennies tossed by tourists onto the marker each year also contributed to the deterioration. (Franklin coined the term “a penny saved, is a penny earned.”)

Why do people leave pennies on Ben Franklin’s grave?

Visitors have been able to see Franklin’s grave from Arch Street since 1858, when the church opened the burial ground’s brick wall, and every year “hundreds of thousands of visitors toss pennies at the grave for good luck” as a nod to Franklin’s adage, “a penny saved in a penny earned,” according to the Christ Church …

What happens to General Mercer at Princeton?

On January 12, 1777, American Brigadier General Hugh Mercer dies from the seven bayonet wounds he received during the Battle of Princeton.

What did General Mercer do?

Hugh Mercer (16 January 1726 – 12 January 1777) was a Scottish soldier and physician who participated in the Seven Years’ War and American Revolution.

Who is the founder of Laurel Hill Cemetery?

Because it has three general sections, newspaper obituaries and death certificates often identify it as “North Laurel Hill”, “Central Laurel Hill” and “South Laurel Hill”. Founded by John Jay Smith in 1836, it was the second “Garden” or “Rural” cemetery in the United States (after Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Mount Auburn Cemetery).

How big is Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia?

Located in Philadelphia’s East Falls section, the 74-acre (300,000 m 2) cemetery overlooks the Schuylkill River. Laurel Hill contains more than 33,000 monuments and more than 11,000 family lots.

Why was Laurel Hill Cemetery built in Portsmouth VA?

The Yellow Fever Monument was built in this section in 1859 to honor the “Doctors, Druggists and Nurses” who helped fight the epidemic in Portsmouth, Virginia. In 1860, Laurel Hill Cemetery had an estimated 140,000 people visit annually.

Why was the Yellow Fever Monument built at Laurel Hill?

In 1855, the Pennsylvania State Assembly authorized the cemetery to purchase an additional 10 acres from Frederick Stoever known as the Stoever Tract. The Yellow Fever Monument was built in this section in 1859 to honor the “Doctors, Druggists and Nurses” who helped fight the epidemic in Portsmouth, Virginia.