Monument Cemetery
Gothic gatehouse to Philadelphia's Monument Cemetery circa 1868. It was torn down in 1904 to extend Berks Street.
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Established | ~1837-39 |
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Country | United States |
| Type | private |
| Find a Grave | Monument Cemetery |
Monument Cemetery was a cemetery located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1839 to 1956. The land is now part of the campus of Temple University.
The cemetery was opened in about 1839. It was second garden or rural cemetery in Philadelphia, after Laurel Hill Cemetery, and was based on Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. It was located near Broad and Berks streets.
Though originally intended to be called "Pere La Chaise" itself by founder John R. Elkington, it was soon renamed Monument Cemetery, based on a plan to include a central obelisk dedicated to George Washington and Marquis Lafayette. Designed by John Sartain, the obelisk was not actually dedicated until 1869. One notable monument was created for William De La Mater Caldwell, who left $3,000 in his estate for that purpose.
Burials stopped by the late 1920s, and the cemetery was in disrepair by the early 1950s. Temple was eventually able to acquire the land, which it wanted for use as a parking lot and athletic fields. After families claimed about 8,000 of the 28,000 bodies on the site, the rest of the remains were placed in an unmarked grave at Lawnview Memorial Park.
Many of the remaining headstones from the cemetery were used as riprap for the Betsy Ross Bridge, some of which can be still be seen at low tide.
An incomplete list of burials at the former Monument Cemetery includes:
Coordinates: 39°58′52″N 75°09′11″W / 39.981°N 75.153°W
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