Developmental History of Pennsylvania Cemeteries

Overview

The Native Americans of Pennsylvania left Indian mounds that are best understood through archaeology. The Swedes and Dutch were the earliest non-Native American settlers of what became the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania At Gloria Dei Church, Philadelphia, their early tombstones remain in place. But in 1682, when William Penn acquired Pennsylvania's lands, he opened a region where all religions could be practiced without persecution. Settlers quickly established their own religious communities and traditions, including burial practices. Their grave markers left a rich cultural landscape which reflects the availability of stone, craftsmen, artistic skills, economics of the day, religious traditions and symbolism of each faith, and different nationalities as demonstrated through languages inscribed on the markers. Pennsylvania stones rarely retain the imagery or symbolism of the Puritans found in the Boston burial grounds or cemeteries along the New England coast. As the construction industry of the nation advanced, different types of stone quarries were opened, and the cemetery monument business grew. Fashions of the time and the wealth of the citizenry dictated the shape of monuments and carving traditions. These reached a peak during the Rural Cemetery movement and the Victorian era. The height of the mourning tradition followed the death in 1861 of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, whom she mourned for the rest of her life. Elaborate, three dimensional statuary, defined family plots outlined with coping stones or metal fencing, and grand mausoleums typify the cemeteries of the late 19th century.

Industrial practices of the 20th century, lack of craftsmen to work marble, and more frequent use of granite gradually altered grave monument production. Standardized shapes and blocks that could be manipulated into multiple individualized combinations became the norm. Hand-tooled lettering economically became impractical and sandblasting took over. The 21st century has added the new technique of laser cutting and other highlighting devices.

Grave of Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia
Grave of Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia