Monument Cemetery was a

rural cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-19th century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries, which tended to be churchyards. Rural cemeter ...

located at the current day intersection of

Broad Broad(s) or The Broad(s) may refer to: People * A slang term for a woman. * Broad (surname), a surname Places * Broad Peak, on the border between Pakistan and China, the 12th highest mountain on Earth * The Broads, a network of mostly navi ...

and Berks Street in

North Philadelphia North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City, Philadelphia, Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, from 1837 to 1956. It was the second rural cemetery in Philadelphia after

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery, also called Laurel Hill East to distinguish it from the affiliated West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, Bala Cynwyd, is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls, Philadelphia, East Falls neighborhood ...

. It was approximately 20 acres in size and contained 28,000 burials. It had a grand gothic gatehouse and a 67-foot high obelisk monument to

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

and the

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...

John Sartain John Sartain (October 24, 1808 – October 25, 1897) was an English-born American artist who pioneered mezzotint engraving in the United States. Biography John Sartain was born in London, England. He learned line engraving, and produced several o ...

at the center of the cemetery. By the 1950s, the cemetery had fallen into disrepair and was sold to

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

and the Philadelphia Board of Education. Approximately 28,000 bodies were reinterred to

Lawnview Memorial Park Lawnview Memorial Park, also referred to as Lawnview Cemetery, is a cemetery located at 500 Huntingdon Pike in Rockledge, Pennsylvania. It is in size and is managed by the Odd Fellows Cemetery Company of Philadelphia. It contains the reburial of ...

but only 300 with their original tombstones. Many of the remaining headstones, and the monument, were used as

riprap Riprap (in North American English), also known as rip rap, rip-rap, shot rock, rock armour (in British English) or rubble, is human-placed rock or other material used to protect shoreline structures against scour and water, wave, or ice erosion. ...

during the construction of the

Betsy Ross Bridge The Betsy Ross Bridge is a continuous steel truss bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pennsauken, New Jersey. It was built from 1969 to 1974, and opened in April 1976, during the American Bicentennial Year. It ...

and can be seen on the shores of the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

at low tide. The land is now part of the campus of Temple University and Carver High School.

Description

The cemetery design was laid out in 1836 and 1837 by Dr. John A. Elkinton. The lot holders were incorporated on March 19, 1838 as the Monument Cemetery Company of Philadelphia. It was the second garden or

in Philadelphia, after

, and was based on

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. It was a 20-acre diamond shaped property located near the current day intersection of

and Berks Street. Originally intended to be called "Pere La Chaise", it was renamed Monument Cemetery based on a plan to include a monument in the center dedicated to

and the

. The gatehouse, which also functioned as the chapel, was a gothic brownstone and brick structure topped with a towering spire. The gatehouse was demolished in 1903 to extend Berks Street.

Monument to Washington and Lafayette

, the monument was a 67-foot high obelisk adorned with nine-foot tall bronze medallions with profiles of Washington and Lafayette. The pedestal of the monument was 77 and a half square yards – which was intended to signify the 77 and half years that Lafayette lived. The height of the obelisk was 67 feet and 10 inches, intended to signify the 67 years and 10 months of Washington's life. Above the pedestal were thirteen steps intended to signify the original 13 colonies. 32 grooves (8 on each side) on the sub-shaft of the obelisk were intended to signify the number of states in the Union when the monument was erected. Construction of the monument was delayed due to financial problems but it was eventually completed and dedicated on May 29, 1869. George Washington Memorial from Monument Cemetery in Philadelphia

George Washington Memorial from Monument Cemetery in Philadelphia

The bronze plaque dedicated to Washington contained the following inscription: ::"Washington, ::First in war, First in peace, ::and ::First in the hearts of his Countrymen, ::As a Warrior, ::He served refusing pay, and led in the achievement of our ::Independence. ::As a statesman and Law Giver, ::His guiding wisdom assisted in framing the Constitutional ::Law. ::As first president of the U.S., ::He governed with firmness and moderation. ::As a patriot, he bequeathed his bright example and ::Earnest counsel and immortal legacy to his country. ::As a man, his character stood superior in its grand ::Equipoise of noblest Qualities. ::Modest as great, prudent as wise, ::He gave the best years of his life to the public weal, and ::Died in Voluntary Retirement, ::The Brightest Star in the constellation of the great men ::Of all times." Marquis Lafayette Memorial from Monument Cemetery in Philadelphia

Marquis Lafayette Memorial from Monument Cemetery in Philadelphia

The bronze plaque dedicated to the Marquis de Lafayette contained the following inscription: ::"Gilbert Motier De Lafayette, ::Benefactor of two Hemispheres; ::Born a Noble of France ::He served as a citizen soldier of American ::Liberty; ::A cherished Friend of Washington, ::By whose side he fought and Bled ::In defence of the great principle ::That the only legitimate government ::Is that which derives its authority from the ::Governed. ::A patriot fearless and firm in days of Terror; ::A man of unchanging Integrity under ::Changing Dynasties; ::The Constant supporter of Constitutional ::Freedom; ::Like Washington, ::He died in voluntary Retirement, ::Leaving a name that belongs to History, ::The lesson of his life to future generations, ::His most revered memory ::To every American."

Cemetery closure

Burials stopped by the late 1920s, and by the early 1950s the cemetery had fallen into disrepair. The cemetery suffered from crime and vandalism and became infested with rats. Temple University was interested in purchasing the cemetery and repurposing it for athletic fields and a parking lot. The management of Monument Cemetery objected to this usage of the cemetery and hoped to sell to another cemetery company. In 1954, Monument Cemetery finally agreed to terms to sell 11 1/2 acres of the cemetery to Temple University and the remainder to the Philadelphia Board of Education. The University contacted 748 families about the cemetery closure. Approximately 28,000 bodies were reinterred to

with only 300 grave markers included in the move since families members were located. Most of the reinterments were placed in a

mass grave A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may Unidentified decedent, not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of exec ...

. The process of relocating the bodies took four years to accomplish. The new graves are marked by flat markers, also known as grass markers. The original headstones were not used at the new grave sites. Most of the remaining headstones, and the monument to Washington and Lafayette, were used as

during the construction of the

and can be seen on the shores of the

at low tide. The land is currently used by Temple University for athletic fields, a student pavilion and a parking lot. The Board of Education used their lot as a playground for George Washington Carver High School.

Notable burials

* DeWitt Clinton Baxter (1829–1881), artist, engraver, Union Army colonel and brevet brigadier general * John Hull Campbell (1800–1868), U.S. Congressman *

Russell Conwell Russell Herman Conwell (February 15, 1843 – December 6, 1925) was an American Baptist minister, orator, philanthropist, author, lawyer, and writer. He is best remembered as the founder and first president of Temple University in Philadelphi ...

(1843–1925), founder of Temple UniversityPuckett, John L. & Mark Frazier Lloyd
Becoming Penn: The Pragmatic American University, 1950–2000
p. 345 (2015) * Thomas Birch Florence (1812–1875), U.S. Congressman * Bill Fouser (1855–1919), professional baseball player * James Landy (1813–1875), U.S. Congressman *

Henry Dunning Moore Henry Dunning Moore (April 13, 1817 – August 11, 1887) was a Whig member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Early life Henry D. Moore was born in Goshen, New York. He moved with his parents to New York City in 1828. He at ...

(1817–1887), U.S. Congressman *

(1808–1897), artist * Hampton S. Thomas (1837–1899), U.S. Medal of Honor Awardee (American Civil War)

References

Citations Sources * *

External links

Monument Cemetery
at Find A Grave
How Monument Cemetery was Destroyed
{{coord, 39.981, -75.153, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-PA, display=title 1837 establishments in Pennsylvania 1956 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Cemetery vandalism and desecration Cemeteries established in the 1830s Cemeteries in Philadelphia Cultural depictions of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Former cemeteries High schools in Philadelphia Lower North Philadelphia Monuments and memorials to George Washington in the United States Obelisks in the United States Rural cemeteries

Monument Cemetery Monument Cemetery was a rural cemetery located at the current day intersection of Broad Street (Philadelphia), Broad and Berks Street in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1837 to 1956. It was the second rural cemetery in Philadelphia aft ...