Laurel Hill Cemetery

Welcome to Laurel Hill Cemetery. As you stand before the grand entrance of this sacred and profoundly historic ground, it is essential to understand the grim urban realities that necessitated its creation. …

As we pass through John Notman's formidable Roman Doric gatehouse, we immediately encounter a fascinating piece of nineteenth-century marketing masquerading as high art. Look closely at the sculptural grouping known as Old…

We now walk among the earliest permanent residents of Laurel Hill. Our first focal point is the grave of Mercy Carlisle, a Quaker woman who holds the distinct honor of being the very first person interred in this cemetery, in…

As we navigate deeper into the cemetery, the monuments grow larger, reflecting the immense wealth accumulated during America's industrial revolution. Here rests Joseph Wharton, a prominent member of a wealthy Quaker merchant…

Our next stop brings us to the graves of two individuals who drastically reshaped American culture, one through the written word, and the other through brick, iron, and glass. Let us first consider Sarah Josepha Hale, born in…

We now enter a section of the cemetery characterized by massive, ostentatious mausoleums. This area was acquired in the eighteen sixties when the George Pepper estate became available, connecting the north and south sections of…

As our tour winds toward its conclusion, we encounter stones that speak to the peculiarities of historical preservation and the strange intersection of actual mortality with cinematic fiction. First, let us examine the grave of…

We have reached the conclusion of our walk through Laurel Hill Cemetery, standing now at a vantage point that overlooks the slow, steady current of the Schuylkill River below. I ask you to reflect on the immense span of human…