Mount Moriah Cemetery: A Bird’s Eye View

Mount Moriah Cemetery is located in Philadelphia, PA. The cemetery was established on March 27, 1855. The cemetery is so grandiose in size that many government organizations and churches have established themselves inside the cemeteries 200–380 acres. The cemetery is so large that even the US Department of Veteran Affairs has organized a naval plot in honor of the soldiers in Mount Moriah.

As said before, many churches had moved their cemeteries to Mount Moriah due to the vast amount of land it had, as well as the impact it had on certain groups of people, making the significance of the burial greater. Some of the cemeteries historical context and importance includes: the United Methodist Minister’s Plot, First Baptist Church, St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Old Pine Street Church, Roxborough Baptist Church, St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church and others. The Naval Asylum Plot (10 acres) and the Soldiers Plot (11,000 sq. ft.) are two national cemeteries within Mount Moriah. They are both managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs at Washington Crossing Cemetery.

Recently, the only known member of the Associations board has passed away, leaving Mount Moriah Cemetery under no known individual to act on the cemeteries behalf. This would explain the current conditions of the cemetery, being that it is unkept in some part of the cemetery especially, looking like the cemetery in itself is deteriorating.

Due to the cemeteries vast amount of historic importance, wether it be racial, socioeconomic, or religious, it is important for the people to take action in court and assign ownership to the cemetery. This ownership is the only way to make sure the cemetery is taking measures to maintain the appearance of Mount Moriah and alleviate the damages that have occurred during the past years to the many acres of land.

The need to fix Mount Moriah Cemetery is high. This cemetery can be used in the future to teach the young about not only the history of Philadelphia but the historical importance and relevance the cemetery and the people who have been buried in it have to the past.