GENERAL INFORMATION

The private and community cemeteries that contain NCA soldiers' and government lots, and Confederate cemeteries, do not always have staffed offices on site. When administrative information for the larger cemetery is available, it is provided below.

This soldiers' lot is overseen by the Beverly National Cemetery.

Please contact the national cemetery for more information.

back to top

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Mount Moriah Cemetery was established by the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1855, one of several rural cemeteries developed in Philadelphia between 1845 and 1860. Located on the southwestern edge of the city, the private cemetery originally consisted of 54 acres. Over time it has grown to 380 acres spanning both sides of Cobbs Creek. Due to the massive size of the cemetery, many churches and other organizations have established smaller lots within its bounds. A majestic gatehouse provides entrance into to the cemetery. Designed by local architect Stephen D. Button in 1855, the Romanesque gatehouse is fabricated from brownstone. 

Notable headstones in the cemetery include a granite marker constructed in the shape of the Civil War iron-clad ship, the USS Monitor. The headstone memorializes William Rowland, a sailor on the USS Minnesota, which was protected by the Monitor from the CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack) at the Battle of Hampton Roads.

For a time Mount Moriah Cemetery held the remains of Betsy Ross, reputed maker of the American flag. However, leading up to the local celebration of the 1976 Bicentennial, her remains were moved to Arch Street near the Betsy Ross house.

In the early 1870's, an African-American named Henry Jones purchased a lot in the cemetery. After his death, cemetery authorities turned away his funeral procession at the gate, on the basis of his race. A lawsuit was filed against the Mount Moriah Cemetery association on his behalf, and in 1876 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jones' right to burial in the cemetery.

Mount Moriah Naval Plot is associated with the U.S. Naval Asylum. The Naval Hospitals Act of 1811, passed through Congress with the help of Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton, established the U.S. Naval Asylum in Philadelphia. Architect William Strickland designed the main building, which was completed in 1833. Originally used as a naval hospital, in 1838 midshipmen began taking classes at the asylum.

With the 1845 opening of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, the asylum ceased serving as a school. In 1864 the federal government purchased a 10-acre site in Mount Moriah Cemetery for the re-interment of remains within the plot on the grounds of the Naval Asylum. More than 2,400 navy officers and sailors have been buried in Mount Moriah Naval Plot since the first interment on March 26, 1865. This lot is bordered by a low fence of chain-and-bollards, and contains many very old, non-standard headstones, as well as a naval anchor on a concrete base.

Monuments and Memorials
The U.S. Arsenal Monument honors the women who died in an explosion at the Washington Arsenal on June 17, 1864. The tragedy resulted from the accidental ignition of fireworks stored in a lot next to the Arsenal Building at 4-1/2 Half St., SW. Lit by the summer heat, sparks from the fireworks blew into the arsenal as 108 women were making gunpowder cartridges, causing an explosion which killed 21. The memorial was erected on the first anniversary of the fire. The marble and granite structure was produced by sculptor Lot Flannery of the Flannery Brothers Marble Manufacturers, and rises to about 25 feet tall. A small, allegorical female figure symbolizing Grief sits atop a shaft, which is inscribed with the names of the women who perished.
back to top

NOTABLE PERSONS

Jesse Duncan Elliott, a naval officer during the War of 1812, is buried in Mount Moriah Naval Plot. During the Battle of Lake Erie on Sept. 10, 1813, Elliott served as the second in command to Captain Oliver Perry. When the British severely damaged the flagship of the Lake Erie fleet, the USS Lawrence, Elliott helped Perry transfer command to the USS Niagara. Elliott subsequently took command of the remaining ships in the fleet, and helped lead the Americans to victory in the battle. After the war, Elliott remained in the Navy until his death on Dec. 10, 1845, at the Philadelphia Naval Yard. 

FLORAL/GROUNDS REGULATIONS

Floral regulations are not available for this cemetery.

back to top