Laurel Hill Cemetery

Laurel Hill Cemetery was founded in 1836 as a nonsectarian alternative to Philadelphia's crowded inner-city churchyards of the early nineteenth century. Intended for use by the living as well as the dead, it was designed to take advantage of scenic Schuylkill River vistas, with winding paths and rare horticultural specimens. The grounds are adorned with works by noted sculptors and architects such as Alexander Milne Calder, Harriet Frishmuth, and Thomas Ustick Walter, and hold the remains of notables including General George Gordon Meade, Frank Furness, Thomas Sully, David Rittenhouse, and Harry Kalas. In 1998, Laurel Hill became the first cemetery in the United States to be honored as a National Historic Landmark, and it remains true to its original purpose as an educational, recreational, and aesthetic public resource.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States