Philadelphia National Cemetery

Philadelphia National Cemetery is a United States national cemetery located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, north of Germantown. It is administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and managed by the National Cemetery Administration[3] from offices at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.[4]

Philadelphia National Cemetery
The original rostrum of 1887[1] was replaced in 1939, and a new gate was constructed in 1940.
LocationJct. of Haines St. and Limekiln Rd., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°03′31″N 75°09′18″W
Area13.3 acres (54,000 m2)
MPSCivil War Era National Cemeteries MPS
NRHP reference No.97000775[2]
Added to NRHPJuly 24, 1997
American Civil War cemeteries

The cemetery contains an American Revolutionary War Monument honoring reinterred Continental soldiers from the Battle of Germantown, a Mexican–American War Monument honoring 38 reinterred veterans, and a Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument (1911) honoring 184 prisoners of war who died in Philadelphia area hospitals or camps during the American Civil War.

History

It was established in 1862 for deceased from nearby Civil War hospitals, and as 1 of the original 14 National Cemeteries.[4] The cemetery was increased to 13 acres (5.3 ha) in 1885 to reinter soldiers from numerous small plots throughout the region. A federal superintendent had been appointed by 1869 for the "number of burials in seven incorporated cemeteries near the city of Philadelphia."[5] As of September 30, 2008, Philadelphia National Cemetery had 13,202 interments. This number is not expected to change significantly as the cemetery is closed for new interments, except for those in reserved plots and in plots opened by disinterments.[6][7]

Notable interments

Notable interments include:

  • Battle of Germantown Monument
  • Mexican War Monument
  • Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument

References
  1. "The Grand Army: Pennsylvania" (Chronicaling America archive). The National Tribune. October 6, 1887. Retrieved 2011-06-24. Ellis Post No. 6, has secured permission … to erect a rostrum in the Philadelphia National Cemetery at Germantown, to facilitate the services of the Post in the cemetery.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  3. National Cemetery Administration
  4. "Philadelphia National Cemetery". Facility Directory. Cem.VA.gov. Retrieved 2011-06-24. This cemetery is administered by Washington Crossing National Cemetery. External link in |work= (help)
  5. Belknap, Wm. W. (December 31, 1869). Philadelphia… (Report). p. tbd. Retrieved 2011-06-27. The number of burials in seven incorporated cemeteries near the city of Philadelphia has caused the department to appoint a superintendent to have them in charge, and the several plats containing the bodies, taken together, are regarded as a national cemetery.
  6. Holt, Dean W. (2009). American Military Cemeteries, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 397. ISBN 9780786440238. See p. 233.
  7. Philadelphia National Cemetery, Department of Veteran's Affairs, accessed January 3, 2013.
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