Mount Moriah Cemetery: Opinions of the Press

Written by John Ellingsworth

Wednesday, 07 July 2004

The following transcribed document was published during the early years of Mount Moriah cemetery, as far as I know. It is a collection of writings about the cemetery from local newspapers, collected into a small pamphlet. The pamphlet was probably distributed to persons interested in the purchase of a burial lot at Mount Moriah; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania has one in their collections. Anyone in possession of an original who would be willing to share photos of it, please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ! MOUNT MORIAH CEMETERY. The grounds of this beautiful Cemetery are now laid out and prepared for interments; the receiving vault completed; the enclosing wall and massive brown stone Lodge and Gateway in rapid course of erection. A large number of lots have been sold to our most respectable citizens. Several Churches have purchased sections for the use of their congregations, and the friends of the enterprise may now congratulate the managers on having established upon an enduring basis, one of the finest ornaments of our city. Some idea of the universal favor with which the Cemetery grounds and the elegant improvements have been regarded by all who have visited them, may be formed from the opinions of the press herewith submitted. The managers will still dispose of a limited number of shares upon the original unprecedented low terms, $50 for five lots, containing together 400 square feet, payable, if desired, in monthly installments of $5 each. Single lots containing 80 square feet may be bad for $12. For the accommodation of persons wishing to view the grounds, carriages run to the Cemetery every fair afternoon. For further information apply at the office, No. 10 South SIXTH Street. BRANCH OFFICE: No. 532 South Tenth St. above Federal. OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. From the Daily Sun. We invite attention to the advertisement of the Mount Moriah Cemetery Association, which appears in our paper to-day. The want of another suitable burial place has long been felt by those of our citizens residing in the Southern part of our city, and the new Rural Cemetery, on the western boundary of the city will, no doubt supply that want to the largest extent. The grounds selected are highly spoken of by all who have visited the place; and the well known character and standing of the gentlemen entrusted with the management of the enterprise, is a sufficient guaranty for its complete success, and the establishment of Mount Moriah as one of our most tasteful and choice Cemeteries. From the Ledger. THE CEMETERY OF MOUNT MORIAH. Our advertising columns tell of another City of the Dead, whose foundations are being laid. We ask attention to what is there said about it, to all who care for a place of repose, either for themselves or others, when they shall take that step, which can never be retraced when the drapery of the grave is wrapped about them, and they lie down to pleasant dreams, in the land of spirits - where every delusive prospect of ambition is at an end, and every source of activity taken away. This new loca1ity is one of peculiar beauty and fitness for the purpose of its designation, and will soon abound with birds, flowers, trees, green paths, hills, thickets, cooling fountains, and murmuring waterfalls, to make it the most famed of the many Cities of the Dead. From the Daily Times. MOUNT MORIAH OEMETERY The managers of this new "City of the Dead" are now engaged in erecting, under the superintendence of S. D. Button, Esq., architect, a massive Lodge and Gateway, of Connecticut brown stone. The plan presents an imposing appearance, well suited to the purpose designed. The buildings are of the Norman castellated style, near a hundred feet in front, and when completed will form the most striking and beautiful entrance attached to any Cemetery in this vicinity. Nature has done much for the beauty and adornment of Mount Moriah; and when to the natural advantages of the spot the tasteful and costly improvements now being erected shall be added, its attractions as a rural burial place will not be surpassed by any other of our Cemeteries. From the Pennsylvania Inquirer. MOUNT MORIAH. We recently visited this beautiful Mount, which stands on the western margin of our city, overlooking the surrounding country, and washed by a clear stream of water which winds around the base of the eminence, and through the leafy grove of tall old forest trees, which ornament its western slope. Its beauty and quiet calm are suggestive of hallowed associations; and to one of a contemplative mind, who views its present loveliness, the memory is carried back to that sacred spot, where, far back in the history of our race, the Patriarch's undoubting faith led him to offer up his only son whom he loved, in obedience to the divine command; where later, in the hour of his people's distress, David offered his sacrifice to appease the pestilence; and where, subsequently the wise and princely Solomon erected his magnificent Temple for the worship of the true God. The figurative language of Scripture, descriptive of the ancient Mount, is not inapplicable to the grounds of the new rural cemetery. Mount Moriah may well be called "The fields of the wood." On the side of the eminence which overlooks a wide scope of magnificent landscape, the tall native forest trees, lift their leaf-crowned tops to the calm heaven above. The majestic oak, the graceful chestnut, the waving poplar, the fragrant walnut, the straight and stalwart hickory, the trembling ash, interspersed with the dark, impenetrable cedar, all mingle their leafy arching boughs, and charm the visitor with their cooling shade. To these native glories of the woods, the hand of man has recently added near a thousand young transplanted trees; the fir, the spruce, the pine, the larch, the cypress, the yew, the willow, the laburnum and the cedar of Lebanon, are a few of the varieties which give promise in a few years to make the eastern portions of the grounds as beautiful as is now the west. A substantial stone wall is rising under the magic sound of the mason's hammer, and the massive columns of the brown stone lodge and gateway are rapidly assuming a fitting shape and will soon form an appropriate entrance to the beautiful grounds within. . The great advantage this new Cemetery has over all others in the vicinity of our city, is its geographical position. Beyond the reach of brick walls and close built streets, it is separated from the adjacent heights on the North and West only by the beautiful stream of water which, to the Indians, anterior to Wm. Penn's day, was familiar as the Ameaseka. By throwing a few light graceful bridges over this stream, and extending the limits of the grounds over the opposite shore, with its wooded summit, Mount Moriah may be made to excel all our Cemeteries, in the romantic charms of its scenery, the variety of its attractions, and the extent of is accommodations, as the last resting place of the sainted dead. We left it under the conviction that the good judgment and taste of its projectors would perfect its natural advantages, and that it would speedily become our most popular Cemetery. From The Pennsylvanian, June 27. THE MOUNT MORIAR CEMETERY. On Saturday afternoon last, in company with a number of gentlemen, we visited the grounds recently purchased by this association. They are situated a short distance back of the Darby plank road, the front of the cemetery to face upon a sixty feet avenue, running from the gates to the plank road. It embraces an area of near sixty acres, and is situated upon one of the prettiest hills within many miles of Philadelphia. There is a beautiful shady nook at the base of the hill in the rear, which is intended to be a resting-place for the living, not the dead. For those who wish to procure a future earthly home, we know no spot about the city which presents the same advantages as this; for, as the march of improvement appears to be directed northward, there is but little possibility of the rest of those interred in this "City of the Dead" ever being disturbed. From The Daily Register THE MOUNT MORIAH CEMETERY. It is appointed unto all men once to die. The grim monster's bony hand will clutch us at last, do what we will. An open window, a breeze that wafts to our lungs the miasma of pestilence, and the cold grey tombstone may press the turf upon our breasts and the marble watcher keep his silent vigil above our mouldering frames. The faltering throb in that frail organ we call the heart is all that keeps us from the grave. The human race, like the summer foliage, has its autumn tints and its decay. In forty years, the whole adult population of this city will have fallen from the tree of life, and will sleep in forgetfulness, on Laurel Hill, Mount Moriah, or some other monument covered slope near the city. Mount Moriah is well adapted to the solemn purposes to which it has been consecrated. It is a cool and breezy spot, from which one sees the white columns of Girard College on one side and the silver glistening sheet of the Delaware on the other. Its base is washed by a limpid stream that babbles through a neighboring ravine. When it is crowned with shrubbery, when the weeping willow, the cypress and cedar shall cast their solemn shade over the place and birds shall pour forth their musical laments from the boughs, Mount Moriah will be one of the most noted of the Cities of the Dead. From the Daily Argus. MOUNT MORlAH CEMETERY. A day or two since we visited the site of this contemplated "city of the dead." It would be difficult to select a spot where nature has done more to render a location peculiarly adapted for the purpose indicated than Mount Moriah. It is sufficiently remote from the line of city improvements, to preserve its occupants from the violating hand of urban growth, and not yet so far as to be inconvenient to lot holders. Without being abrupt or rugged, it gently undulates, and slopes evenly downward at the edges to one of the most beautiful brooks in this vicinity. Here and there groves of tall trees stand sentinel-like around cool springs, which burst from rocks and trickle down the bank to the stream below. The rapid growth of our city and the increase of her population, renders it important that eligible places of burial should be selected before land rises to enormous value, and for this purpose the Directors of this Cemetery are making vigorous efforts to push the matter forward. The terms of sale, which will be found in our advertising columns, are extremely liberal, and the gentlemen interested are well known citizens, whose names are a sufficient guarantee that the work will be energetically carried into execution. A beautiful chapel will be erected upon the grounds in a short time, which will be surmounted by a spire sufficiently elevated to command a fine view of the circumjacent country. Those of our citizens who have not yet secured lots for interment will do well to visit Mount Moriah, and take shares while they remain at a low figure, for this new Cemetery is destined to attain a popularity equal to any of its older rivals. As it will be another addition to the pleasant spots around our city we wish it every success. From the City Item. THE MOUNT MORIAH OEMETERY. "In the midst of life we are in death." "Of death, it has been said, that nothing is more certain than that it will come, and nothing more uncertain than when it will come. * * * * Knowing that we have here no resting place of abode, it is the part. of wisdom to look forward to our departure. * * * * The loss of our friends impresses upon us hourly the necessity of our own departure. The other day we paid a visit to the Mount Moriah Cemetery, for the purpose of selecting a burial lot for ourself and family. Although but recently organized, this Cemetery is now in successful operation, and the lots are in request at the very moderate prices, asked for them. We were charmed with the quiet and picturesque beauty of the spot. After hearing much of its natural loveliness, and its many advantages for Cemetery purposes, we found the reality far exceeded the description. The grounds consist of about sixty acres, lying on the bounds of the city, separated from the farms of Delaware county by. a beautiful stream of water, about three miles from Market street bridge, and but little more than a mile from Gray's Ferry; it is accessible at all seasons by the Darby Plank Road, being near enough to the compact part of the city, while its location precludes all danger of its inmates ever being disturbed by the progress of improvements, a decided. advantage possessed by no other Cemetery of equal accessibility in so great a degree. It is in the power of the Association to make this Cemetery one of the largest, as it is already one of the handsomest in the world. The, adjoining grounds may be secured at a moderate price, and we think the managers owe it to themselves and to the public to make the purchase. This Cemetery possesses many advantages. The country is elevated, gently undulating, beautiful and healthful. The access is easy and delightful. Churches of various denominations have already selected sections in the Cemetery for the use of their respective congregations for burial purposes. The whole road leading from the Market street bridge is lighted up at night with gas, and the neighborhood is orderly and respectable. The Lodge, Gateway, wall, &c., are now in course of construction - in fact, they will be finished by the first of August. At a glance one may see the beauty, economy, and convenience of this spot as a place of burial. In a future number we will speak of other matters, which we have been compelled. to slight in this hurriedly written article. From the Weekly Commercial and Rail Road Advertiser, July 1. THE MOUNT MORIAH CEMETERY ASSOCIATION. Onr attention has been called to the prospectus of this Association, which presents many desirable features, and is worthy of the attention of the community. It is well known that the existing cemeteries in and very near the city, distant as they were when first opened, are now being rapidly surrounded by residences and business establishments, and are more or less liable to be disturbed by the opening of new streets. The almost unprecedented growth of Philadelphia during the last few years, and the still more rapid strides she is inevitably destined to make from the effects of the recent consolidation, will very soon destroy the retirement and sanctity of those spots where even our recent dead are already buried. Monument Cemetery, the Odd Fellows', Glenwood, the Woodlands, &c., are now almost in the city itself, and surrounded with bricks and mortar, while even Laurel Hill is rapidly losing its character as a rural burial ground, and will, besides, in a very few years be over-crowded with tenants, or completely taken up by lot-holders. In New York they calculate differently. Greenwood Cemetery lies at a considerable distance from the city, and in a location where it will eventually be surrounded only by the cottages and grounds of men of wealth and leisure, so that it is not liable to the same objections that can be urged against all our old cemeteries. It is a thought very dear to the surviving friends of the departed that their dust will be suffered to repose where it is originally laid, and everyone knows the intense excitement that is periodically created by the attempts of our more progressive citizens to invade the holy ground for the purpose of extending streets, or for other works of what is considered utility. Those, therefore, selecting the last resting places for their beloved dead should be careful to choose such locations as are likely to be the least liable to such intrusions. The Mount Moriah Cemetery Association was organized for the purpose of securing a burial ground beyond the probable reach of the present spirit of improvement, where we may reasonably expect that our friends may repose unmolested until the day when all shall rise together. Their grounds are on the line between the City and Delaware county, to which line, in that direction at least, it is not at all likely that the city improvements will ever reach. A beautiful stream of water forms the western boundary. Everyone who has seen it is delighted with the beauty of the scenery and the fitness of the location. The shares be but fifty dollars each, payable in monthly installments of five dollars each, and entitling the holder to five lots, containing together four hundred square feet of ground. The terms bring the lots within the reach of men of the most moderate means. The business of the association is in the bands of competent and reliable men. We give the names and residents of the officers below, and earnestly advise all interested to call on one of them and secure an interest in this beautiful rural Cemetery before it be too late. From the Evening Bulletin. The tendency of the age is to avoid intramural interments and to establish rural cemeteries where the graves of the departed, and their surroundings, will be divested of those hideous associations which have in days gone by rendered ideas of death terrible and the last resting place of humanity loathsome. In all the principal cities of the Union, the example of the people of the East in this respect has been followed, and rural cemeteries have been established, where the dead can repose without fear of disturbance, and which surviving friends can visit without having their feelings shocked by witnessing the rude contact of the tomb with the ordinary business of life, and without seeing tbe bones of the long since departed thrown from their resting place in a crowded church yard, to make room for the dead of today. Philadelphia stands foremost in the performance of duty to the dead in a decent and becoming manner. Her rural cemeteries are surpassed by none others in the Union, and they are perhaps equal, in respect to beauty and good taste to any in the world. A number of influential citizens have started a new cemetery within the last year, which is steadily progressing in public favor, and which promises to compare favorably with the burial grounds north of the city, which are so deservedly popular. The Mount Moriah Cemetery, to which we refer, is located on the Southwestern border of the city. Its surface is elevated above the surrounding country, and the prospect from its grassy heights is striking and picturesque. The dry soil, the magnificent shade trees which abound upon and around the spot, and the romantic scenery about the grounds, recommend the latter for the purpose for which they are designed, while the readiness of access from the city by the Darby Plank Road is an important advantage. The grounds, which are sixty acres in extent, contain all the variety of hill and dale which is now considered an absolute requisite in rural cemeteries. The gravelled walks have been laid out in such a manner as to wind around the base of the gentle hills, and every tomb and monument will show to a proper advantage. There is no scarcity of shady nooks, and abrupt hill sides on the grounds, which will afford eligible sites for the location of family vaults. Around the rear of the Cemetery Cobb's creek brawls over its rocky bed, and lends an additional charm to the scene. The greater portion of the grounds are already enclosed with a substantial wall, and workmen are now busily engaged in the erection of a splendid Gateway and Lodge, with turret, etc., all constructed of fine brown stone and built in the Castellated Norman style of architecture. Those who desire to secure lots in a beautiful rural cemetery, at a reasonable cost, have an opportunity afforded them in the Mount Moriah. The rapid increase in the value of the lots will probably soon induce the Association to put up the price of shares. The entire exemption of Mount Moriah from those disturbing noises, so often painfully experienced in other cemeteries contiguous to streets and rail roads, is distinctly set forth in the following article from the Daily News. MOUNT MORIAH. While the thermometer stood at 97 only, the other day, we took advantage of the "Accommodation Line," started by the managers of Mount Moriah Cemetery, to run from their office in Walnut street to the cool and shady grounds along Cobbs Creek. Here, secure from the Sun's rays, and the scorching atmosphere of the town we had leisure to see the progress of the improvements of the Company. . The elegant brown stone lodge and gateway now rise in massive proportions, reflecting equal credit on the architect who designed, and the builder who erected, and for the projected purpose they cannot be excelled in style or workmanship. The quiet hour we spent there, was uninterrupted by the slightest noise, save the warbling of birds and the music of the waterfall. No jarring rattle of carriage wheels, no shrill screeching whistle of the engine, no thundering clatter of railroad cars rushing by, disturbed our reverie. Mount Moriah stands alone in this respect; it is undisturbed by the noise of the busy world without, and is altogether the most quiet and beautiful spot we know. If the reader doubts, let him go and see it. From the Evening Argus. MOUNT MORlAH CEMETERY ASSOCIATION. Those of our readers who have not yet taken advantage of the kind offer of this association to visit their grounds, should do so at Once.' There is no ground any where in the neighborhood of Philadelphia so well adapted for burial purposes as this. It is, also, a beautiful spot; and, at no distant day, destined to be the favored cemetery of this county. Its distance, which is about a mile and a quarter on the other side of the Gray's Ferry Bridge, is just sufficient to allay any uneasiness in the minds of those purchasing lots as to the march of improvements. We occasionally hear in this city of bodies to be taken up to be re-interred in other places, so that dwellings may be erected on the site of the former "City of the Dead." No fears may be entertained, of such things occurring on the grounds of this company. At the present moment a very large number of masons, stone-cutters, and others, are engaged in putting up the walls, gateways, and chapel, all of which are rapidly assuming an appearance indicative of the purposes, for which they are intended. Carriages leave the office of the association, every clear afternoon, to carry purchasers to the grounds, so that they may know exactly what they are buying. We cordially recommend this ground to those in want of burial lots. King & Baird, Printers, 9 Sansom Street, Phila.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 24 February 2007 )

 

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