Greenwood Cemetery, Philadelphia
Encyclopedia
Greenwood Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the Frankford
section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States
.
, for the interment of their members and others. The company was chartered on December 9, 1869 and bought the property, which had been "Mount Airy", the residence of Commodore Stephen Decatur, Sr.
Originally chartered as "The Greenwood Cemetery Company of Philadelphia", the charter was changed to the "Knights of Pythias Greenwood Cemetery Company of Philadelphia" on March 18, 1870.
Greenwood Cemetery was modeled after the rural cemetery
movement of the mid 19th century. Designed by architect Thomas S. Levy, the plans for the cemetery were very grand with rolling hills, naturalistic plantings, pathways arranged in a spoke-and-circle pattern, an artificial lake and a large gatehouse. The gatehouse and lake were never realized.
Portions of the historic house at the entrance date back to 1750-1775. Dr. Benjamin Rush
, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
, lived on the farm in the late 18th century. In the early 19th century, a major addition to the house gave it the appearance of a vernacular federal structure
. Recent evidence, however, dates the construction of the house to the 1830s or later. Behind the house is a receiving vault emblazoned with Knights of Pythias insignia and inscribed with a date of 1870.
On August 9, 2000, Greenwood was listed by the Philadelphia Historical Commission on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. The cemetery, which is still active, contains about 40,000 graves. The oldest grave is unknown, as there were many burials before the cemetery was chartered in 1869, and early records have been lost, but it is believed that it holds the remains of veterans of the Revolutionary War
.
Over the years, maintenance has been neglected. While remnants of the landscaping and plantings typical of a rural cemetery are evident, the cemetery has been the victim of vandalism, with numerous overturned, fallen, and broken tombstones, and the rear of the cemetery has reverted to woods.
In 2000, the cemetery came under the management of Willow Ridge Ltd., a private company. There was considerable local controversy over the company's plan to raze the historic home and build new structures, including a funeral parlor and crematorium. In 2000, Philadelphia's Zoning Board of Adjustment granted permission for the funeral parlor and crematorium. Several local residents sued in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court to overturn the Board's decision. The court upheld the decision of the Board, and the residents appealed to Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. On February 8, 2007, Commonwealth Court overturned the decision of the trial court. The cemetery owners then appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, but their appeal was denied on October 18, 2007.
The Friends of Greenwood Cemetery, a nonprofit organization established in 2003, dedicated to preserving the records, tombstones, and grounds of the cemetery, has made some progress in cleaning it up, as the lawns are now mowed regularly and some woods have been cleared.
In 2008, an adjacent hospital, Cancer Treatment Centers of America
(CTCA) at Eastern Regional Medical Center, through their sister company Greenwood Holdings, acquired a majority share of the cemetery.
Greenwood Holdings has begun revitalizing the cemetery. Headstones have been righted; abandoned cars and appliances have been removed. In addition, more than 2,400 graves were moved from a wooded section in order to allow CTCA's expansion. More that $1 million has been spent on renovations of the historic house. Windows, floors, fireplaces, roofs, ceilings and walls were restored.
Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Frankford is a large and important neighborhood in the lower Northeast section of Philadelphia situated about six miles northeast of Center City. Although its borders are vaguely defined, the neighborhood is bounded roughly by the original course of Frankford Creek, now roughly Adams to Aramingo...
section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The cemetery officially opened on October 26, 1869, after being converted from a farm. It covers 43 acres (174,015 m²). The cemetery was established by the benevolent order of the Knights of PythiasKnights of Pythias
The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded at Washington, DC, on 19 February 1864.The Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded by Justus H. Rathbone, who had been...
, for the interment of their members and others. The company was chartered on December 9, 1869 and bought the property, which had been "Mount Airy", the residence of Commodore Stephen Decatur, Sr.
Stephen Decatur, Sr.
Stephen Decatur, Sr. was an American naval captain in the Revolutionary War and later in the Quasi-War. He was the father of Stephen Decatur, Jr. During the American Revolution he commanded the Royal Louis, the Comet, the Retaliation, the Rising Sun, and the Fair American...
Originally chartered as "The Greenwood Cemetery Company of Philadelphia", the charter was changed to the "Knights of Pythias Greenwood Cemetery Company of Philadelphia" on March 18, 1870.
Greenwood Cemetery was modeled after the rural cemetery
Rural cemetery
The rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of burial ground that uses landscaping in a park-like setting.As early as 1711 the architect Sir Christopher Wren had advocated the creation of burial grounds on the outskirts of town, "inclosed with a strong Brick Wall, and having a walk round, and...
movement of the mid 19th century. Designed by architect Thomas S. Levy, the plans for the cemetery were very grand with rolling hills, naturalistic plantings, pathways arranged in a spoke-and-circle pattern, an artificial lake and a large gatehouse. The gatehouse and lake were never realized.
Portions of the historic house at the entrance date back to 1750-1775. Dr. Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a Christian Universalist, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
, lived on the farm in the late 18th century. In the early 19th century, a major addition to the house gave it the appearance of a vernacular federal structure
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
. Recent evidence, however, dates the construction of the house to the 1830s or later. Behind the house is a receiving vault emblazoned with Knights of Pythias insignia and inscribed with a date of 1870.
On August 9, 2000, Greenwood was listed by the Philadelphia Historical Commission on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. The cemetery, which is still active, contains about 40,000 graves. The oldest grave is unknown, as there were many burials before the cemetery was chartered in 1869, and early records have been lost, but it is believed that it holds the remains of veterans of the Revolutionary War
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Over the years, maintenance has been neglected. While remnants of the landscaping and plantings typical of a rural cemetery are evident, the cemetery has been the victim of vandalism, with numerous overturned, fallen, and broken tombstones, and the rear of the cemetery has reverted to woods.
In 2000, the cemetery came under the management of Willow Ridge Ltd., a private company. There was considerable local controversy over the company's plan to raze the historic home and build new structures, including a funeral parlor and crematorium. In 2000, Philadelphia's Zoning Board of Adjustment granted permission for the funeral parlor and crematorium. Several local residents sued in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court to overturn the Board's decision. The court upheld the decision of the Board, and the residents appealed to Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. On February 8, 2007, Commonwealth Court overturned the decision of the trial court. The cemetery owners then appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, but their appeal was denied on October 18, 2007.
The Friends of Greenwood Cemetery, a nonprofit organization established in 2003, dedicated to preserving the records, tombstones, and grounds of the cemetery, has made some progress in cleaning it up, as the lawns are now mowed regularly and some woods have been cleared.
In 2008, an adjacent hospital, Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Cancer Treatment Centers of America is a private, for-profit operator of cancer treatment hospitals and outpatient clinics which provide both conventional and alternative medical treatments.CTCA's headquarters are located in Schaumburg, Illinois....
(CTCA) at Eastern Regional Medical Center, through their sister company Greenwood Holdings, acquired a majority share of the cemetery.
Greenwood Holdings has begun revitalizing the cemetery. Headstones have been righted; abandoned cars and appliances have been removed. In addition, more than 2,400 graves were moved from a wooded section in order to allow CTCA's expansion. More that $1 million has been spent on renovations of the historic house. Windows, floors, fireplaces, roofs, ceilings and walls were restored.
Notable interments
- George CreamerGeorge CreamerGeorge W. Creamer , born George W. Triebel, was an American Major League Baseball second baseman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
(1855–1886), born George Triebel, an AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
second basemanSecond basemanSecond base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
. - James and Kate Dukenfield, the parents of W. C. FieldsW. C. FieldsWilliam Claude Dukenfield , better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer...
. - Cpl. Thomas Francis PrendergastThomas Francis PrendergastThomas Francis Prendergast or Pendegrast was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his United States Marine Corps service in the Philippine-American War.-Military service:...
, USMCUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
(April 2, 1871 – April 26, 1913), Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient. - Several children of Marie NoeMarie NoeMarie Noe is an American woman who was convicted in June 1999 of murdering eight of her children. Between 1949 and 1968, eight of the ten Noe children died of mysterious causes which were then attributed to sudden infant death syndrome. All eight children were healthy at birth and were developing...
, who initially attributed their deaths to natural causes but later pleaded guilty to their murders.
External links
- Official website
- Greenwood Cemetery at Find-A-Grave
- Greenwood Cemetery at Interment.net
- Greenwood Cemetery at SavingGraves-US.org
Further reading
- Thomas H. Keels, Philadelphia Graveyards and Cemeteries, Arcadia Publishing, 2003, ISBN 073851229X, 128 pages.