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Written by John Ellingsworth
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Wednesday, 07 July 2004 |
Today was a grey day to be at Mount Moriah. It was overcast and muddy inmost parts, with the potholes in the road filled with water and debris fromlocalized flooding everywhere. Cobbs Creek overflowed onceagain, although from what I could see it was nowhere near as bad as August2004 ( see photo:http://www.mountmoriahcemetery.org/albums/general/080104_00419_001.jpg )
I was able to take a number of photos of plots on the Yeadon side today, in the Naval plot. Last weekend I finished photographing each of the plots in the Civil War plot of the Philadelphia side. The photos are to be a part of a new version of the Mount Moriah database, which will be made available in the next couple of weeks. But I digress.
As I said, I was on the Yeadon side. I finished up early as I had other obligations this morning, and decided to go through the Philly side toKingsessing Avenue to take that direction home.
When one enters the Philadelphia side from Cobbs Creek Parkway, the firstthing you notice after the bridge are the mausoleums on the left (east)side. They stand out prominently, as they are built into the hillside. They are interesting to look at, also, as they are in 'relatively' goodshape (all things considered). To stand next to them and look west gives one a great view of the 'rolling hills' of Mount Moriah and allows one toreally take in the breadth of the cemetery (see photo:http://mountmoriahcemetery.org/photos/640_051304_3837.jpg )
Today, that view is desecrated. The existing neglect and damage to thecemetery has always made me sad & angry, but today would be different. I drove across the bridge (where the missing gates are) my eyes naturallylooked up east to the mausoleums. As soon as I looked I knew something was very wrong.
The Baker mausoleum (see photo:http://mountmoriahcemetery.org/photos/640_051304_3836.jpg ) wasvandalized. I could see it from afar - covered with what at first glance appeared to be streaks of blood but up on closer inspection is red paint,painted with a paintbrush. The scrawl is offensive on so many levels thatI will not transcribe it but instead offer this photo:http://mountmoriahcemetery.org/photos/640_040305_03998.jpg
Words cannot describe the sadness I felt at seeing this. I do not knowwho the Baker family was, or their descendants, I just felt a terriblesense of emptiness when I saw this. What makes it so much worse is that any visitor to the cemetery - newly grieving family arriving to do a burial, regular visitor paying condoloences - is going to be shocked whenthey see this. Rightly so. The Baker plot is not the worst in thecemetery, but its visibilty is overwhelming.
(If anyone has any more details on this family please send them to me.)I am hopeful that any of you who read this and see what has taken placewill do any or all of the following:
I am hopeful that any of you who read this and see what has taken place will do any or all of the following:
Contact Anna Verna's office:
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City Hall, Room 405
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3290
(215) 686-3412, (215) 686-3413
FAX: (215) 686-1932
She is the President of City Council and we are working hard (lobbying?) to get her to do something about this; this area is also her district:
http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/verna/index.html
Contact the cemetery owners and tell them you are shocked! Ask them what they are going to do about it!
Mount Moriah Cemetery Association
6200 Kingsessing Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: (215) 729-1295
Contact NBC 10 - they have been incredibly generous to the plight of MM and will be more than interested in what has taken place there:
WCAU NBC 10
10 Monument Road
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
Call 610.668.5705 or fax to 610.668.3700
Contact any of the major newspapers (Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, City Paper, Philadelphia Weekly); ask them to write about this.
Finally, contact the 12th district police station. Ask them to increase their presence at the cemetery, as it has clearly become a place of outlaws. I will look into what has to be done to file a police report with them and do so.
12th Police District
65th & Woodland Aves., 19142
215.686-3120
215.686-3121
FAX.685-2665
If anyone does decide to contact any of the above mentioned groups, I would appreciate it if you could let me know your impression with them. It will help us gauge who is supportive and who is not, allowing us to more effectively focus our efforts.
Please forward this to any groups who may be able to provide support and/or suggestions for our endeavors.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 25 March 2008 )
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