Cemeteries: Lafayette Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Brenda Antal <jantal1977@earthlink.net>
Name Date of Death Age
BURCHARDS, Wm 20 Mar 1841 39 yrs
RUE, Ellen 8 Sep 1846 3 yrs
Source: WPA Index
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Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Jane Hamilton <rhamilton26@tampabay.rr.com>
Lafayette Cemetery
Removed to:
Rosedale Memorial Park
Oakford, Pa.
NAME AGE DEATH DATE
Foxhill, still born May 29, 1841
===================================
Newspaper: Philadelphia , Thursday Morning, August 17, 1871
Ten cents per week.
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
THE CEMETERY OF PHILADELPHIA.-Lafayette Cemetery.-Twelve years after
Ronaldson's Cemetery was laid out the "Lafayette" was founded. By a deed of
trust, dated January 12th, 1839, Joel B. Sutherland and William G. Alexander
granted and sold to the Lafayette Cemetery Company the lot or piece of ground
described as "situated in the township of Moyamensing, beginning on the south
side of Federal Street, at its intersection with the west side of Ninth street,
as now laid out and intended to be opened; along Ninth street to the Passyunk
road, and along the northwestwardly side of the Passyunk road to Wharton street;
thence along the north side of Wharton street to Tenth street, as now laid out
and intended to be opened; along the east side of Tenth street to Federal
street, and along the south side of Federal street to the west side of Ninth
St., the place of beginning, being parts of two large lots, one of which James
Paula and wife conveyed to Joel B. Sutherland and William G. Alexander, their
heirs and assigns, and the other of which David Lentz and wife granted to Joel
B. Sutherland and William G. Alexander, their heirs and assigns. Together with
the thirteen hundred and eighty-two burial lots, lodge or keeper's house, walks
and ways into which the hereby granted premises, being designed for a cemetery,
have been laid out and divided, agreeably to a map, plan or draft, to be and
remain unaltered forever."
The members of the Cemetery Company at its organization were Joel B.
Sutherland, William W. Sutherland, Anthony Freed, Charles Mercier, Robert
Coburn, George Kirkpatrick, Robert O'Neill, Charles Francis Breuill, John B.
Austin, Charles Francis, John R. Walker, James McCormack, Wm. A. Martin, Jesse
R. Burden, Alexander E. Dougherty, Wm. Craig and members of the corporation
should consist of the holders of smaller lots, and no others. As in one of the
articles for the government of Ronaldson's Cemetery, to which reference was made
in the history of that ground, it was provided that neither the coroner, nor any
person of color should at any time become the owner of any of the smaller lots,
vaults, or other privileges in the cemetery, and in case of any violation of
these articles, the lots, vaults, or other privileges so granted should become
forfeited, and might be sold by the Board of Director to any person in fee
simple, and the proceeds thereof be applied to the improvement of the cemetery
and payment of its necessary expenses.
One of the first acts of the Corporators was the election of a Superintendent,
and Robert Thompson was chosen. He has performed his duties so acceptably to the
directors and lot holders, that he yet retains his position, having held it for
thirty-three years. Among the lot holders was Dr. James Bond, who for some years
previous to his death was much interested in the improvements on South Broad st.
William F. Hughes, late President of the City Bank, whose first wife was buried
in the ground; Peter I. Decker, broker, deceased; Washington L. Lane, deceased;
Benjamin L. Berry, whose first wife was interred in his lot; William J. Crans,
for many years Clerk of the County Prison, whose remains lie in the ground; the
late Alderman Shermer; Captain Robert Dunlevey, deceased; John N. Daniels, late
Prison Keeper; Dr. Jesse R. Burden; Joseph Sailer; George P. Little; Stilwell S.
Bishop, deceased; Andrew Kilpatrick, deceased; Robert G. Simpson, deceased; Dr.
H. Yale Smith; Captain May, deceased; Clement L. Hughes; Daniel Remick, and Wm.
G. Mintzer, deceased.
The first interment in the Cemetery was on the 20th of December, 1838. It was
the body of Robert F. Hill, four years old. There are handsome tombs and
monuments within the enclosure rising above the remains of men who, while they
were much respected, neither in public life nor as private citizens left any
record calling for special mention. The tomb of Dr. Bond simply records the time
of his birth and death; the same may be said of that of Captain May, Captain
Dunlevy, and William Mintzer. Captain Dunlevy was for many years in command of a
packet ship sailing between this port and Liverpool, and Mr. Mintzer, as a
manufacturer of military trimmings, was for a long time in business on Third
street, between Arch and Race, and was very successful.
The remains of Washington L. Lane lie in the Lafayette Cemetery, and the grave
is marked by a pretty tomb which contains this inscription:
Washington L. Lane,
Born October 25th, 1813; died Nov. 14, 1865. For more than a quarter of a
century one of the editors of the Public Ledger: devoted to the profession; able
and incorruptible; an affectionate husband and father, and a good citizen.
This stone is erected by one who knew his worth.
G.W.C.
The remains of William G. Alexander, one of the founders of the Cemetery, were
buried in the ground, but those of his co-laborer, Dr. Joel B. Sutherland, were
laid in the yard attached to the Old Pine Street Church. Among the records of
burial in the Lafayette, there could be found but two of persons who had lived
over one hundred. They were Elizabeth Riddle, whose age at the time of her
decease was one hundred and one years, and Thomas Calhoun, whose age was
slightly beyond that.
In the records of interments in Ronaldson's Cemetery there were only the same
number of centenarians. These facts show how small are the chances of members of
the human family living to that advanced stage of life.
Up to within a year or two the "Lafayette" was enclosed with a plain wooden
fence. This was substituted by a handsome iron railing, since which time the
lot-holders have shown a greater disposition to put their enclosures in order,
and to embellish them with flowers. The extreme southern portion of the ground
was not laid out in lots until the change alluded to was made. At one time it
was contemplated to lease the Wharton street front for building purposed, which
would have greatly marred the beauty of the Cemetery. Fortunately this was not
carried into effect.
The new portion of the ground is likely to become the most attractive, and
very much conduce to the beauty of the whole. Within a few years Philadelphia,
south and west of "Lafayette," has grown with an almost unprecedented rapidity.
On the Passyunk road the improvements extend to where it opens into Broad
street, and east of that much traveled thoroughfare to Moore street the ground
is almost everywhere covered with dwelling housed, many of them erected for the
accommodation of the laboring population, small tenements, but having nearly as
many conveniences as much larger and more imposing structures.
At the present time the work is being pushed forward with unabated activity,
and during the present season much land, heretofore under cultivation, has been
given up, by reason of the continued demand for houses.
When Lafayette Cemetery was founded the township of Moyamensing was but
sparsely inhabited south of Fitzwater street. The boundaries of the district
were South street on the north and Passyunk road on the east, and improvements
in the neighborhood of the ground were not commenced until it had been laid out
ten or fifteen years, or even longer than that. The County Prison had been built
but a few years in 1838, and it was then looked upon as being far out of town.
How near the cemetery is to that building will be seen by those not acquainted
in that vicinity, when they know that the one ends at Wharton street and the
other begins at Reed street, but one square distant. Mr. Thompson, the
superintendent of the ground, says he has stood at the Federal street gate many
a time and seen men cutting grass and grain north of that street to Washington
avenue and even beyond that thoroughfare.