Laurel Hill Cemetery facts for kids
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Laurel Hill Cemetery
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William Warner memorial sculpted by Alexander Milne Calder
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 Location in Pennsylvania
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| Location | 3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Built | 1836-1839 |
| Architect | John Notman |
| Architectural style | Exotic Revival, Gothic, Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 77001185 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 28, 1977 |
Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic cemetery located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It's a really special place because it's been named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's important to the history of the whole country!
The cemetery is right next to the Schuylkill River, about 3.5 miles north of downtown Philadelphia. It's a beautiful spot with lots of history and art to explore.
Contents
Exploring Laurel Hill Cemetery
A Special Place in Philadelphia
Laurel Hill Cemetery isn't just a place where people are buried. It's also a big outdoor museum and a peaceful park. It's known for its beautiful sculptures, old trees, and amazing views of the river.
It became a National Historic Landmark in 1977. This honor shows how important its design, history, and the people buried there are to the United States.
How Laurel Hill Cemetery Began
Back in the 1830s, a group of wealthy people in Philadelphia wanted a new kind of cemetery. They wanted it to be outside the busy city, a quiet and beautiful place. They found the perfect spot at Laurel Hill, which used to be owned by a businessman named Joseph Sims.
Building the cemetery started in 1836 and was finished in 1839. A talented Scottish architect named John Notman designed it. This was one of his first big projects. He designed a lovely chapel in the Gothic architecture style, which looks like old European churches.
Famous Faces Resting Here
Many important and famous people are buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery. These include writers, soldiers, and even a fictional character!
- Louis Antoine Godey: He was a famous editor and publisher. He created Godey's Lady's Book, a very popular magazine in the 1800s.
- Sarah Josepha Hale: She was an influential writer and editor. She helped make Thanksgiving a national holiday and wrote "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
- George G. Meade: A major general during the American Civil War. He led the Union army to victory at the Battle of Gettysburg.
- John C. Pemberton: Another general from the Civil War, but he fought for the Confederate side.
- Harry Kalas: A beloved radio announcer for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. His gravesite even has a microphone-shaped tombstone and seats from the old Veterans Stadium!
- Matthias W. Baldwin: He founded the Baldwin Locomotive Works, which made many of the trains that helped build America.
- Elisha Kent Kane: A brave polar explorer who went on expeditions to the Arctic.
- Adrian Balboa: This is a fun one! There's a headstone for Adrian Balboa, a fictional character from the famous Rocky movies.
Art and History in Stone
Laurel Hill Cemetery is like an outdoor art gallery. There are hundreds of amazing sculptures and monuments. Each one tells a story about the person buried there or the times they lived in.
You can see grand mausoleums, which are like small buildings for families, especially along an area sometimes called "Millionaire's Row." There are also many statues, from angels to historical figures.
One famous sculpture is called Old Mortality. It's based on a story by Sir Walter Scott and stands right in front of the main gate. Another important monument is the Yellow Fever Memorial, built in 1855. It honors the doctors, druggists, and nurses who helped fight a terrible yellow fever outbreak in Portsmouth, Virginia.
The cemetery's design itself is a work of art. John Notman created beautiful terraces that go down to the Schuylkill River, making it a very scenic place.
Images for kids
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Mausoleums along "Millionaire's Row"
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The cemetery was designed by John Notman with strings of terraces that descend to the Schuylkill River
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The statuary group known as Old Mortality is based on a tale by Sir Walter Scott and is displayed directly in front of the main gatehouse
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The Yellow Fever Memorial was built in 1855 to honor the Philadelphia "Doctors, Druggists and Nurses" who helped fight the epidemic in Portsmouth, Virginia
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Laurel Hill Cemetery Advertisement from 1904
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Headstone for the fictional character Adrian Balboa from the Rocky movie franchise
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The Henry Disston family mausoleum is the largest monument in Laurel Hill
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The monument for William J. Mullen was built by Daniel Kornbau and exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition
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The gravesite of Harry Kalas, Philadelphia Phillies radio broadcaster, includes a microphone shaped tombstone and two pairs of seats from Veterans Stadium
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The Mother and Twins Monument was carved by Polish sculptor Henry Dmochowski-Saunders. It depicts his deceased wife Helena Schaff and their two deceased children
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Polar explorer Elisha Kent Kane was interred in the family's hillside tomb
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Sculpture on William Warner memorial by Alexander Milne Calder depicting a woman releasing a soul from a sarcophagus
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Memorial for Matthias W. Baldwin, Founder of Baldwin Locomotive Works
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Memorial for Robert Patterson, Union general during the Civil War
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The tomb of historian Henry Charles Lea is adorned with a bronze sculpture of Clio, the muse of history, by Alexander Stirling Calder
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Memorial for Louis Antoine Godey, editor and publisher of Godey's Lady's Book
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"The Silent Sentry" was stolen from Mount Moriah Cemetery in 1970 but was recovered and rededicated in Laurel Hill in 2013.
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