History Of Laurel Hill Cemetery

In 1835, the North Section was once the country estate of Joseph Sim. The Central section of the cemetery was once the estate of George Worten Pepper. Before, his estate was taken over by the cemetery, it held Laurel Hill College for men and contained a Catholic College Chapel on its grounds.

When Laurel Hill was founded in 1836 by John Jay Smith it was the first rural cemetery in Philadelphia and the country's second only rural Victorian Garden cemetery of its kind known for its architectural structure and beauty. Before 1836, burials took place in Church yard cemeteries and on the grounds of estates.

There are many notable Philadelphians buried at Laurel Hill. 19th Century Industrialists and Civil War Generals are just a few of those interred in its grounds.

In the late 1960s, the cemetery fell in disarray and it was not until the Friends' group was established that the cemetery began to return to its original splendor. Because of the hard work and dedication of the Laurel Hill Friend's group, the cemetery became a National Historic Landmark in 1998 which I proudly was a part of. The formal dedication of the Pennsylvania Historical Marker took place on May 7th, 2000.

In the years that followed, I began writing articles for the cemetery's newsletter about the ordinary folks interred in Laurel Hill and also about those whom the cemetery 's existence played a part in their lives. I personaaly thought too much attention was placed on the "Rich and Famous" and not enough on the "Ordinary Folks' interred in the cemetery and I wanted it known that though the cemetery may focus on the first group, there was even a larger group of ordinary everyday folks who were interred in its grounds that may not have been as wealthy or policitally connected but who also served an importance in the local community as well.

I am sad to say that today the cemetery has turned from a place of quiet historical beauty to a place of commercialism.