Historical Background of Laurel Hill

Laurel Hill Cemetery

Laurel Hill cemetery was founded by a man named John Jay Smith and designed by an architect by the name of John Notman in 1836. By the early 19th century church grave yards had become overcrowded. Alternative places to bury the dead were needed so John Notman designed a cemetery in a rural section of Philadelphia with rolling hills and lush landscapes. It would be the nation’s only second largest rural cemetery of its time.

Once the estate of Joseph Sims, the property was located approximately three miles from Center City. In its early days there were so many visitors to Laurel Hill that the cemetery had to give out tickets. Visitors came to the cemetery by way of the Schuylkill River. The boat would take them to a landing right below the cemetery. Rows of steps leading up the hill from the river brought them to their destination.

Many rich and famous people are buried at Laurel Hill from Revolutionary and Civil War figures to Industrial Revolution giants. Several bodies that once were interred in other cemeteries have been reburied at Laurel Hill. The cemetery is filled with magnificent and unusual monuments ranging from the largest mausoleum of Henry Disston, Industrial Revolution giant who erected it in 1878 at a cost of 60,000 dollars to the plain headstone of Civil War‘s General George Gordon Meade which simply says, “George Gordon Meade, Major General U.S. Army, born at Cadiz, Spain Dec. 31, 1815, died at Philadelphia Nov. 6, 1872, he did his work bravely and is at rest”.

When touring the cemetery grounds, you will find that each burial site tells a story by the type of symbolic monument that rests upon its ground. For example; a symbol of an angel represents the soul being assisted to heaven. Male angels represent a Catholic while female angels represent all other Christian religions. The column (commonly seen in Victorian Era Cemeteries) symbolizes whether or not a life was cut short before its time. If the column is broken, the person died before their time. Ivy means immortality whereas the lamb means innocence. Many graves of children have the symbol of the lamb. A gun, sword, cannon or anchor means it is the grave of a military man. The torch represents a life that has ended. The urn represents a violent death. The obelisk represents an eternal life whereas the wreath represents victory.

In 1998, the cemetery was designated as a National Historical Landmark by the National Park Service and United States Department of the Interior and placed on the National Register of Historic places. It is a place of beauty and history and worth a visit.