With an inspired title that captures the event’s horror and irony, a walking tour of Laurel Hill Cemetery scheduled for April 15 will commemorate the famed British ocean liner that tragically sank at the turn of the century, as well as the ship’s passengers who perished and survived.

Wednesday, August 14, 1907, was cooler than most summer days in New York. Newspaper headlines shouted of a stock market crash, a strike by telegraph workers, and a friendly meeting between England’s King Edward VII and his cousin, Germany’s Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, on their yachts. That same day Georgia’s state legislature passed an election law which was written in such a way that would virtually deny the state’s Black citizens the right to vote. The governor announced he would sign it as soon as it got to his desk.

But for residents of 226 West 78th Street the day was marked by a personal tragedy, the death of 82-year-old Martha “Pattie” Thompson Pemberton. Since the death of her husband, Confederate General John C. Pemberton, in 1881, Mrs. Pemberton had lived at the Manhattan home of her daughter, Mrs. Patricia Pemberton Berman, and her stockbroker husband. Although an invalid for the previous eight years, Mrs. Pemberton’s end had come suddenly. The brief obituary noted the funeral would take place on August 16th at Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery where she would be interred beside her husband. The train carrying her remains was scheduled to arrive at the city’s Broad Street Station at 3:10 that afternoon.

Among the city’s many, old institutions, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia is not the oldest, but certainly is one of the most venerable. It was founded 1814 as a subscription library before the establishment of public libraries. In addition to providing its members with access to books, the Athenaeum was also chartered to collect historical materials focusing on American arts such as architecture. Today, it houses significant archives of hundreds of thousands of architectural drawings, photographs, and manuscripts.

After occupying several different locations, including a period within the American Philosophical Society, in 1847 the Athenaeum established its current home on Washington Square. Architect John Notman received the commission over notable contemporaries William Strickland and Thomas Ustick Walter. In the prior decade, Notman had planned Laurel Hill Cemetery, the first rural cemetery in the United States designed by an architect, and many tombs and monuments within it. After the Athenaeum, he designed several Episcopal churches of diverse styles, including St. Mark’s Church at 16th and Locust Streets (Gothic Revival), Church of the Holy Trinity on Rittenhouse Square (Romanesque), and St. Clemen’s Church at 2oth and Cherry Streets (Romanesque Revival).

The feedback to Season One of “The World’s Greatest Cemeteries” was so “embarrassingly positive” that host and producer Roberto Mighty knew there would be a Season Two. 

“These are massive national parks and museums,” Mighty said. “They are also multi-million-dollar operations and tourist attractions, people come from all over the world. They come to see the graves of their favorite people, are treated to these horticulture masterpieces, arboretums, architecture and landscape. We show how beautiful these cemeteries are. Plus, there’s lots of great stories.”

All six Season Two episodes will be on PBS.org for free, with no membership required until April 18.

Laurel Hill in Philadelphia and Laurel Hill West in Bala Cynwyd are highlighted in Episode Five. Mighty explores the Medallion Garden and discusses the graves of jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., Civil War General George Meade, inventor Martha Coston and singer Teddy Pendergrass.

We’re proud and excited to share Laurel Hill has been featured in the most recent season of “World’s Greatest Cemeteries” on PBS! Many thanks to Roberto Mighty and team for highlighting the fascinating history and beautiful grounds of our two cemeteries. You can view our episode online for free now through April 18th.

In what is now a Yuletide tradition, Karen Penn dropped by Laurel Hill Cemetery on a cloudy and chilly Monday morning recently to pay her respects, laying fresh Christmas greenery at the grave of a second cousin, three times removed, whom she never met.

This is a special year, because that cousin, Weston Dickson Fisler, died on Dec. 25, 1922, 100 years ago. Wes Fisler was a special relative, because, as Penn discovered while researching her family roots, he’d been a 19th century professional baseball player of note.

And yet, for reasons Penn can’t quite pinpoint, his grave was unmarked until five years ago.

Journalist Greg Melville says the 144,000 cemeteries across America are time capsules of the country’s past, rich with history but often overlooked. In a new book, he explores graveyards from Colonial Jamestown to the Philadelphia region’s Laurel Hill and what they reveal about religion, race, identity, imagination and more.

Tours at Laurel Hill Cemetery
There’s no better time of year for a scary stroll than October, and there’s no better place for it than a historic graveyard. Laurel Hill is offering all sorts of spooky tours, including their classic Halloween flashlight tours. See their whole calendar of events and choose a perfectly macabre tour here.

Gravediggers’ Ball
This annual fundraiser of Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery invites guests to come in costume or masquerade attire (and there are costume contests!), so if you’re looking for a spooky and swanky evening for a good cause, this one’s for you. The ticket cost benefits a good cause, but if the $250 price tag is too rich for your blood (Halloween pun intended), there’s also a $95 “Graveyard Shift” option for ages 21 to 40 to attend from 9:30 p.m. to midnight.
$95-$500; October 21st, 7 p.m.-midnight, Masonic Temple, 1 North Broad Street.

The committee hearing held last Friday focused on the role and impact of public gardens in tourism in Pennsylvania and was held at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square. Sclar, the former executive director of the American Public Gardens Association, is the new H.O. Smith Endowed Director of The Arboretum at Penn State.

Sclar noted that an estimated 120 million people visit public gardens across the country every year — almost as much as attendance for all major professional sports combined. An estimated 4.5 million people visit public gardens in Pennsylvania each year, he said.

Also testifying Friday on behalf of the Pennsylvania Public Horticulture Coalition were Keith Kaiser, CEO of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, Nick D’ Addezio, marketing vice president of Longwood Gardens, and Nancy Goldenberg, president and CEO of Laurel Hill, a historic cemetery and garden in Philadelphia. Several regional tourism bureaus, as well as representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development also gave testimony.

In the past half-year, Bike Delaware County has grown to become a regular presence in Delaware County. We have assembled a fourteen-member action team, hosted two rides in the spring and are co-sponsoring at least 3 in the fall, and have begun outlining areas of intervention for safe bicycling–the many “Edges of Possibility” Delco has to offer. Our rides involve routes stitched together through individual trial-and-error, community-generated routes that are gaining increasing Township approvals like the Main Line Greenway, and bona-fide bike trails in the works throughout the county. As a McSweeney’s piece recently implied, we have a lot of work to do to make biking safe in this country, and that includes making bicyclists’ presence known and normal to residents.

In April, a group of about three dozen people gathered in support of the Main Line Greenway, a low-stress, grass-roots bicycle route connecting a variety of side streets and trails in Montgomery and Delaware Counties. The route extends between West Laurel Hill Cemetery on the eastern end and Stoneleigh Gardens on the western end. The group rode the western end of the Greenway, from Haverford College into Lower Merion Ward 10, to Bryn Mawr College, then Rosemont and Villanova, before ending at Stoneleigh and returning through Radnor Township and Haverford Township. We had a wonderful mix of families and students, along with residents from all of the involved townships and boroughs. Special thanks to Lou Savastani, chair of Bike Montco, who volunteered to co-lead the 4/24 ride.

A new birding festival will debut in Philadelphia in October.

Audubon Mid-Atlantic will host the inaugural Philly Birding Weekend over the weekend of October 7-9, featuring some of the city’s iconic green spaces and birds making their fall migration.

As with most birding festivals, the new Philadelphia event will be heavy on birding field trips.

Laurel Hill Cemetery, a 74-acre, historic garden cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia, will host a Saturday afternoon walking session. From its overlook over the Schuylkill River, 45 species of birds have been recorded during the month of October.

A vacation story highlighting a cemetery immediately sounds weird, odd, even creepy. Why exactly would vacationers elect to have a picnic meal in the very shadow of death? For many, it would be more puzzling as Philadelphia is not short of beautiful destinations where a delectable meal can be enjoyed in an ambiance of life in all its dynamic vivacity. In fact, there are some spots, five of them, that those who vacation in Philadelphia should avoid. It turns out that none of them is a cemetery.

Yet, if one is looking for something truly unique while visiting Philadelphia, a detour to Laurel Hill should form part of the travel plans. There’s a lot of intriguing history in this Victorian-era hobby. And the experience itself will be one of a lifetime. Here’s the good news: An hour or two at the cemetery will just be enough.

Cemetery Picnics: Tracing The Puzzling Roots

Less than two hundred years ago, Philadelphians would eat—and then rest in peace—as it were, among those who were also resting in peace. Today it would look bizarre. But in the 19th century, it raised no eyebrows. Established in 1836, Laurel Hill was the scene and theater of this practice, now almost entirely out of vogue. And it wasn’t just in Laurel Hill, or even in the “City of Brotherly Love,” as Philadelphia has come to be known. It was a practice that was taking place all over the United States.

There’s something about a cemetery that seems to stir up emotions in everyone who visits it. Most people are scared of cemeteries because they remind them of the good times they spent with their loved ones. But the narrative is changing because there are a couple of beautiful cemeteries on different continents that prove that cemeteries don’t have to be depressing. With amazing architecture and impressive pieces of art, these cemeteries are sure to make travelers rethink the idea of death.

Laurel Hill Cemetery is a National Historic Landmark in East Falls, Philadelphia. The cemetery features graves of many notable Philadelphians, including Edwin Henry Fitler, Robert Adams Jr., and Henry Disston. Laurel Hill Cemetery is one of Philadelphia’s distinctive tourist destinations because of its magnificent monuments and lovely environs. The 74 acres of the cemetery offer a spectacular view of the Schuylkill River and a variety of sites to hike, bike, and take in the scenery.

 In Pennsylvania, the city of Philadelphia has a rich history and many haunted spots. The city’s many haunted buildings have old, haunting architecture that leads to ghost sightings. Some of the oldest buildings in the city are particularly haunted, including Eastern State Penitentiary. This article mentions the Betsy Ross House, Laurel Hill Cemetery, and Fort Mifflin. Read on to learn more.

Laurel Hill East

If you’re searching for the most haunted places in Philadelphia, you’re in for a treat. Philadelphia is the oldest city in the country and is home to many renowned ghost stories. From old mansions where ex-wives cried foul to historic cemeteries where fallen soldiers were buried, Philadelphia has more than a few places to explore. You’ll find unmistakable cries at night and even furniture that moves independently.

The cemetery is home to the graves of some of the city’s most prominent people. A mausoleum for a wealthy landowner, such as George W. Childs, is lined with the remains of new money industrialists and financiers. His family plot was next door to another one, the Logan Burial Ground, and he was the joint owner of the Public Ledger. Drexel and Childs later developed a suburban community, Wayne on the Main Line, where they buried each other.

Two of the Philadelphia Region’s Most Historic Cemeteries Get a Facelift
PHILADELPHIA (July 2022) – Historic Laurel Hill Cemetery and West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Funeral Home announced today the release of a brand refresh, including a new name, logo, and website. The new brand, Laurel Hill, is part of a larger strategic planning process of increasing clarity and greater connectivity between the organization’s cemetery services, funeral services, educational programs, and arboretum.

The new brand, rooted in centuries of stewardship and stories while embracing a future of growth and sustainability, unifies Laurel Hill East (Philadelphia, PA), Laurel Hill West (Bala Cynwyd, PA), Laurel Hill Funeral Home (Bala Cynwyd, PA), and the Friends of Laurel Hill. The brand platform is built on the organization’s three foundational pillars of eternal rest, recreation, and civic value.
“Our new brand brings a new dimension to our organization that clearly articulates who we are, what we do, and what differentiates us,” said Nancy Goldenberg, President & CEO of Laurel Hill. “With Laurel Hill, we now have a clear level of consistency across multiple communication channels which we know our audiences will find attractive and useful.”

The new initiative brings together Laurel Hill East, Laurel Hill West, Laurel Hill Funeral Home, and the Friends of Laurel under one name.

The new brand, rooted in centuries of stewardship and stories while embracing a future of growth and sustainability, unifies Laurel Hill East, Laurel Hill West, Laurel Hill Funeral Home, and the Friends of Laurel Hill.

Thousands of motorists, cyclists, runners, and rowers pass the historic Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia that rises 45 feet atop a steep slope overlooking Kelly Drive — the graveside monuments and headstones poking out from above as if guardians of the Schuylkill below.

Starting next week, that one-acre green slope at Kelly Drive and West Hunting Park Avenue will start turning brown as it gets defoliated with herbicides and by hand. The goal: Create a new meadow the cemetery’s owner believes will be more natural to the area, result in a haven for native bees and birds, help with erosion, and give passersby a more colorful view. Plus a granite outcrop that gives a commanding view of the river will be exposed for the first time in decades when ivy and other vegetation are gone.

“It’s a very unusual project. And we want to make sure the public is aware of what we are doing,” Nancy Goldenberg, president and CEO of Laurel Hill Cemetery, said during a walk Tuesday along the base of the slope. “I see thousands of people driving by or biking here every day. And this could all be gorgeous.”

Nancy Goldenberg
President and CEO, Laurel Hill Cemetery and West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Funeral Home

As president and CEO of Laurel Hill Cemetery, Goldenberg seeks to create memorable experiences in new, gratifying ways among the diverse collection of art, history and horticulture in the company’s cemeteries. This year, she will continue to lead a team of caring professionals and insightful civic leaders who have positioned Laurel Hill as a model organization in an industry that continues to evolve.

What skills are you cultivating or exploring in 2022? 

As some of the largest properties in urban areas, cemeteries are making a comeback, playing a greater role in supporting physical and mental health. Like so many cemeteries around the country, Laurel Hill experienced a record number of visitors over the past two years – partly driven by COVID-19 – as people discovered our safe and beautiful 265 acres.

We are among the handful of cemeteries nationally renowned for producing one-of-a-kind memorable, place-based experiences that people crave. As a repository of literally thousands of stories of buried souls, remarkable outdoor sculpture and an extraordinary history within a garden landscape, we have the capacity to tell unique narratives visitors find interesting and relevant. To that end, this year we are looking to improve our infrastructure and hone our hospitality services. We are working to become more operationally resilient by investing in technology and training. We’re also planning to launch a new brand and more creatively package and market our offerings to continue building new audiences who will engage with and trust us and remain loyal users.

For someone who spent 35 years working to improve people’s quality of life, taking a leadership role in the death industry might seem like an odd move.

The job opportunity gave Nancy Goldenberg GCP’80 brief pause, too, before she joined Laurel Hill Cemetery and West Laurel Hill Cemetery & Funeral Home in 2018 as their first female president and CEO. “After thinking about it, I realized, ‘Wow, this is everything wrapped up in one for me,’” Goldenberg says. “Pretty much the only thing I hadn’t had experience in was the death industry, which is actually very interesting, creative, and innovative. And it’s all about the use of land. So I’m really loving my job.”

In 2020, 56 percent of Americans who died were cremated, more than double the figure of 27 percent two decades earlier, according to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). By 2040, 4 out of 5 Americans are projected to chose cremation over casket burial, according to both CANA and the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA).

This seismic shift represents potentially severe revenue losses for the funeral industry. It’s leading innovators to create a growing number of green alternatives and other choices that depart from traditional casket funerals. And rapidly shifting views about disposing with bodies have also led to changes in how we memorialize loved ones — and reflect an increasingly secular, transient and, some argue, death-phobic nation.