The Woodlands Cemetery
Encyclopedia
The Woodlands is a National Historic Landmark District on the western banks of the Schuylkill River
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. It includes a magnificent federal style mansion, a matching carriage house and stable, and a garden landscape that in 1840 was transformed into a Victorian rural cemetery
with an arboretum of over 1,000 trees. The site was once part of Blockley Township
.
. When he died in 1741, he willed his lands to his son, also named Andrew, who survived his father by only six years. He devised what became a 300 acres (1.2 km²) estate to his son, William (1745–1813), who acquired it at the age of twenty-one. He built a Georgian-style mansion with a grand, two-storied portico overlooking the river above Gray's Ferry Bridge
. Following a trip to England after the American Revolution, Hamilton doubled the size of the dwelling into a 16-room manor with kitchens and service rooms in a windowed ground floor. The rebuilt Woodlands mansion became one of the greatest domestic American architectural achievements of the 18th century, recognized as a leading example of English taste and presaging architectural trends in the following century.
Hamilton was an active botanist, and his estate and greenhouses grew to contain more than 10,000 different species of plants including the first specimens introduced into America of the Ginkgo biloba, Paper Mulberry
, Sycamore Maple
, Ailanthus
, Caucasian Zelkova, and Lombardy Poplar as well as plants grown from seeds harvested during Lewis and Clark’s expeditions—especially the Osage Orange or Maclura pomifera. Hamilton also collected and exchanged numerous native plants with his friends and neighbors, the Bartram family of botanists from nearby Bartram's Garden
.
At one point the estate covered 600 acres (2.4 km²) and stretched from the Schuylkill River to what is now Market Street on the north and 42nd Street on the west and incorporated Hamilton Village.
district was becoming a fashionable suburb. In order to save the core of Hamilton's estate, in 1840, The Woodlands Cemetery Company of Philadelphia purchased the last 92 acres (372,311.1 m²), which included the mansion, carriage house, greenhouse and hot houses, as well as extensive plantings. The founders concluded The Woodlands' isolated location, its array of exotic trees and its commanding view of the Schuylkill River
provided an ideal site for a rural cemetery. During this period the "Garden" or rural cemetery
was becoming a popular alternative to crowded and unhygienic urban burying grounds. Rural cemeteries were usually non-sectarian and were distinguished for their use of diverse and elaborate landscaping and architecture. An early advertisement touted their wholesome atmosphere where "... the decaying bodies of the dead may securely moulder into kindred dust, with an abundant vegetation and free winds to absorb and dissipate all noxious effluvia."
As with its rival to the north, Laurel Hill Cemetery
, trustees of the Woodlands spurred the cemetery's early growth by interring the remains of a celebrity, Commodore David Porter
. His remains, originally buried at the Philadelphia Naval Asylum
cemetery, were moved and reburied at Woodlands in 1845. By mid-century, The Woodlands was thriving and attracted many of Philadelphia's renowned industrialists, medical professionals, artists, writers, and veterans.
The Woodlands Cemetery Company of Philadelphia continues today as a non-profit cemetery corporation that promotes both traditional and current burial practices on its 54 acres (218,530.4 m²) of land in University City. The Cemetery Company is supported by The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit corporation, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the cemetery, mansion, and arboretum as a cultural landscape between the University of Pennsylvania and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
The Woodlands estate was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1967. In 2006, the cemetery and other structures on the site were added to form a National Historic Landmark District. The site is also designated as The Woodlands National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service
. The cemetery also hosts a community garden and apiary and is a popular recreation destination for local residents, dog-walkers and runners. The Woodlands grounds are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk.
program. The cemetery includes a looped road system emanating from a central paved circle with infrequent motor vehicle traffic, making the grounds a safe and quiet place for biking, running and walking. There is also an unpaved path that encircles the perimeter of the grounds that is a popular circuit for University City dog-walkers and runners. Leashed dogs are permitted on the grounds, which are free and open to the public from dawn to dusk.
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It includes a magnificent federal style mansion, a matching carriage house and stable, and a garden landscape that in 1840 was transformed into a Victorian rural cemetery
Rural cemetery
The rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of burial ground that uses landscaping in a park-like setting.As early as 1711 the architect Sir Christopher Wren had advocated the creation of burial grounds on the outskirts of town, "inclosed with a strong Brick Wall, and having a walk round, and...
with an arboretum of over 1,000 trees. The site was once part of Blockley Township
Blockley Township, Pennsylvania
Blockley Township is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The township ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.-History:...
.
Early history
The Woodlands was originally purchased in 1735 as a 250 acres (1 km²) tract on the west bank of the Schuylkill River by the famous Philadelphia lawyer Andrew HamiltonAndrew Hamilton (lawyer)
Andrew Hamilton was a Scottish lawyer in Colonial America, best known for his legal victory on behalf of printer and newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger. This 1735 decision helped to establish that truth is a defense to an accusation of libel...
. When he died in 1741, he willed his lands to his son, also named Andrew, who survived his father by only six years. He devised what became a 300 acres (1.2 km²) estate to his son, William (1745–1813), who acquired it at the age of twenty-one. He built a Georgian-style mansion with a grand, two-storied portico overlooking the river above Gray's Ferry Bridge
Gray's Ferry Bridge
The modern Gray's Ferry Bridge is a four-lane divided highway bridge, built in 1976, which carries Grays Ferry Avenue across the Schuylkill River and AMTRAK tracks in the Grays Ferry neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Gray's Ferry:...
. Following a trip to England after the American Revolution, Hamilton doubled the size of the dwelling into a 16-room manor with kitchens and service rooms in a windowed ground floor. The rebuilt Woodlands mansion became one of the greatest domestic American architectural achievements of the 18th century, recognized as a leading example of English taste and presaging architectural trends in the following century.
Hamilton was an active botanist, and his estate and greenhouses grew to contain more than 10,000 different species of plants including the first specimens introduced into America of the Ginkgo biloba, Paper Mulberry
Paper Mulberry
The Paper Mulberry is a tree in the family Moraceae, native to eastern Asia. Other names include Dak, Halibun, Kalivon, Kozo, and Tapacloth tree.It is a deciduous tree growing to tall...
, Sycamore Maple
Sycamore Maple
Acer pseudoplatanus, the sycamore maple, is a species of maple native to central Europe and southwestern Asia, from France east to Ukraine, and south in mountains to northern Spain, northern Turkey, and the Caucasus. It is not related to other trees called sycamore or plane tree in the Platanus...
, Ailanthus
Ailanthus
Ailanthus is a genus of trees belonging to the family Simaroubaceae, in the order Sapindales . The genus is native from east Asia south to northern Australasia....
, Caucasian Zelkova, and Lombardy Poplar as well as plants grown from seeds harvested during Lewis and Clark’s expeditions—especially the Osage Orange or Maclura pomifera. Hamilton also collected and exchanged numerous native plants with his friends and neighbors, the Bartram family of botanists from nearby Bartram's Garden
Bartram's Garden
Bartram's Garden which covers is the oldest surviving botanic garden in North America, including an historic botanical garden and arboretum , located on the west bank of the Schuylkill River in Fairmount Park, near the intersection of 54th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
.
At one point the estate covered 600 acres (2.4 km²) and stretched from the Schuylkill River to what is now Market Street on the north and 42nd Street on the west and incorporated Hamilton Village.
The cemetery
Following Hamilton's death in 1813, his heirs sold off much of the Woodlands estate for institutional and residential development. By the first quarter of the 19th Century, the West PhiladelphiaWest Philadelphia
West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though there is no official definition of its boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Line Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek to the southwest, and...
district was becoming a fashionable suburb. In order to save the core of Hamilton's estate, in 1840, The Woodlands Cemetery Company of Philadelphia purchased the last 92 acres (372,311.1 m²), which included the mansion, carriage house, greenhouse and hot houses, as well as extensive plantings. The founders concluded The Woodlands' isolated location, its array of exotic trees and its commanding view of the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
provided an ideal site for a rural cemetery. During this period the "Garden" or rural cemetery
Rural cemetery
The rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of burial ground that uses landscaping in a park-like setting.As early as 1711 the architect Sir Christopher Wren had advocated the creation of burial grounds on the outskirts of town, "inclosed with a strong Brick Wall, and having a walk round, and...
was becoming a popular alternative to crowded and unhygienic urban burying grounds. Rural cemeteries were usually non-sectarian and were distinguished for their use of diverse and elaborate landscaping and architecture. An early advertisement touted their wholesome atmosphere where "... the decaying bodies of the dead may securely moulder into kindred dust, with an abundant vegetation and free winds to absorb and dissipate all noxious effluvia."
As with its rival to the north, Laurel Hill Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the second major garden or rural cemetery in the United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998, one of only a few cemeteries to receive the distinction....
, trustees of the Woodlands spurred the cemetery's early growth by interring the remains of a celebrity, Commodore David Porter
David Porter (naval officer)
David Porter was an officer in the United States Navy in a rank of commodore and later the commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy.-Life:...
. His remains, originally buried at the Philadelphia Naval Asylum
Philadelphia Naval Asylum
The Philadelphia Naval Asylum, later the Naval Home, was a hospital, the Philadelphia Naval School, and a home for retired sailors for the United States Navy from 1834 to 1976, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
cemetery, were moved and reburied at Woodlands in 1845. By mid-century, The Woodlands was thriving and attracted many of Philadelphia's renowned industrialists, medical professionals, artists, writers, and veterans.
The Woodlands Cemetery Company of Philadelphia continues today as a non-profit cemetery corporation that promotes both traditional and current burial practices on its 54 acres (218,530.4 m²) of land in University City. The Cemetery Company is supported by The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit corporation, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the cemetery, mansion, and arboretum as a cultural landscape between the University of Pennsylvania and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
The Woodlands estate was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1967. In 2006, the cemetery and other structures on the site were added to form a National Historic Landmark District. The site is also designated as The Woodlands National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. The cemetery also hosts a community garden and apiary and is a popular recreation destination for local residents, dog-walkers and runners. The Woodlands grounds are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk.
Notable burials
- John Joseph AbercrombieJohn Joseph AbercrombieJohn Joseph Abercrombie was a career United States Army officer who served in numerous wars, finally reaching the rank of brigadier general during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
(1798–1877), Civil War general - Timothy Shay ArthurTimothy Shay ArthurTimothy Shay Arthur was a popular nineteenth-century American author. He is most famous for his temperance novel Ten Nights in a Bar-Room and What I Saw There , which helped demonize alcohol in the eyes of the American public.He was also the author of dozens of stories for Godey's Lady's Book,...
(1809–1885), author, founder of Arthur's Home Magazine - Hartman BacheHartman BacheHartman Bache was an American engineer who participated in the construction of many of the earliest lighthouses on the West Coast. He made a number of sketches of these lighthouses and light stations which have since become an important resource in the study of American lighthouses...
(1798–1872), Civil War Union brevet brigadier general - Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Sr.Anthony J. Drexel BiddleAnthony Joseph Drexel Biddle I , also known as Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Sr., was the man upon whom the book My Philadelphia Father and the play and film The Happiest Millionaire were based...
(1875–1948), author, adventurer, the man upon whom the play and film The Happiest MillionaireThe Happiest MillionaireThe Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 musical film starring Fred MacMurray and based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Costume Design by Bill Thomas. The musical song score is by Robert and Richard Sherman...
were based - Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Jr.Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Jr.Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Jr. , also known as A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. or Tony Biddle, was a wealthy socialite who became a diplomat of the United States, and served in the United States Army during World War I and after World War II, reaching the rank of major general.-Biography:Biddle was the...
(1897–1961), diplomat (cenotaph) - David B. BirneyDavid B. BirneyDavid Bell Birney was a businessman, lawyer, and a Union General in the American Civil War.-Early life:Birney was born in Huntsville, Alabama, the son of an abolitionist from Kentucky, James G. Birney. The Birney family returned to Kentucky in 1833, and James Birney freed his slaves...
(1825–1864), Civil War Union major general - Sylvester Bonnaffon, Jr.Sylvester Bonnaffon, Jr.Sylvester Bonnaffon, Jr. was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his US Army service in the American Civil War....
(1844–1922), Civil War Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient - Benjamin Harris Brewster (1816–1888), presidential cabinet secretary
- William Christian Bullitt (1891–1967), diplomat, journalist, and novelist
- James Hepburn CampbellJames Hepburn CampbellJames Hepburn Campbell was an Opposition Party and Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
(1820–1895), U.S. congressman - Joseph A. CampbellJoseph A. CampbellJoseph A. Campbell was the founder of Campbell's Soup in 1869 when he partnered with Abraham Anderson.-Biography:...
(1817–1900), businessman, founder of Campbell Soup CompanyCampbell Soup CompanyCampbell Soup Company , also known as Campbell's, is an American producer of canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey... - Edward ColesEdward ColesEdward Coles manumitted his slaves in 1819, was secretary to James Madison , neighbor and anti-slavery associate of Thomas Jefferson and was the second Governor of Illinois, serving from 1822 to 1826...
(1786–1868), 2nd governor of Illinois, private secretary to Presidents Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
and James MadisonJames MadisonJames Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United... - Elliott CressonElliott CressonElliott Cresson was an American philanthropist who gave money to a number of causes after a brief career in the mercantile business. He established the Elliott Cresson Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1848, and helped found and manage the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, today's Moore...
(1796–1854), philanthropist - Paul Philippe CretPaul Philippe CretPaul Philippe Cret was a French-American architect and industrial designer. For more than thirty years, he headed the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania.- Biography :...
(1876–1945), architect, designed the Woodlands' main gate - Thomas CrippsThomas CrippsThomas Cripps was an American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient. He served in the Union Navy during the Civil War as a Quartermaster on the USS Richmond. He was awarded the medal for his bravery during the naval assault on Mobile Bay, Alabama on August 5, 1864...
(1840–1906), Civil War Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient - George H. CrosmanGeorge H. CrosmanGeorge Hampden Crosman was a career officer in the Regular Army of the United States who served primarily with the Quartermaster Corps....
(1799–1882), Civil War brevet major general - Jacob Mendes Da CostaJacob Mendes Da CostaJacob Mendes Da Costa, or Jacob Mendez Da Costa was an American physician and surgeon....
(1833–1900), surgeon - Francis Martin DrexelFrancis Martin DrexelFrancis Martin Drexel was a Philadelphia banker and artist. He was the father of Anthony Joseph Drexel, the founder of Drexel University and the grandfather of Saint Katherine Drexel....
(1792–1863), Philadelphia banker, progenitor of the Drexel banking dynasty
- Anthony Joseph Drexel (1826–1893), founder of Drexel UniversityDrexel UniversityDrexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
- Joseph William DrexelJoseph William DrexelJoseph William Drexel was a banker, philanthropist, and partner of Baring Brothers in London and Rothschild et fils in Paris.-Biography:...
(1833–1888), banker, trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of ArtThe Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and director of the Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
house - Francis Anthony DrexelFrancis Anthony DrexelFrancis Anthony Drexel was a Philadelphia banker.-Biography:He was born on June 20, 1824 to Francis Martin Drexel. He had two brothers, Anthony Joseph Drexel and Joseph William Drexel.He married Hannah J...
(1824–1885), banker, father of Saint Katharine Drexel - Susan MacDowell EakinsSusan Macdowell EakinsSusan Hannah Macdowell Eakins was an American artist and wife of Thomas Eakins. She was the fifth of eight children of a Philadelphia engraver, well known in the artistic community...
(1851–1938), artist, wife of Thomas EakinsThomas EakinsThomas Cowperthwait Eakins was an American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and fine arts educator... - Thomas EakinsThomas EakinsThomas Cowperthwait Eakins was an American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and fine arts educator...
(1844–1916), artist - John Ely (1816–1869), Civil War Union brevet major general
- Thomas W. EvansThomas W. EvansThomas Wiltberger Evans was a dentist. He performed dental procedures on many heads of state, including Napoleon III, and received numerous medals for his dentistry, including the Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur...
(1823–1897), dentist - Wilson EyreWilson EyreWilson Eyre, Jr. was an influential American architect, teacher and writer who practiced in the Philadelphia area...
(1858–1944), architect - Clement FinleyClement FinleyClement Alexander Finley , was the 10th Surgeon General of the United States Army, May 15, 1861 – April 14, 1862.-Early life:...
(1797–1879), Civil War Union brevet brigadier general - Alice Fisher (1839–1888), nursing pioneer at the former Philadelphia General Hospital
- Sidney George FisherSidney George FisherSidney George Fisher was a Philadelphia gentleman, lawyer, farmer, plantation owner, political essayist and occasional poet.-Early life and education:...
(1809–1871) lawyer, farmer, political essayist - John FraserJohn Fraser (architect)John Fraser was a Scottish-born American architect who practiced in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC....
(1825–1906), architect - Samuel David Gross (1805–1884), medical pioneer
- James Gwyn (1828–1906), Civil War Union brevet major-general
- Ferdinand Vandeveer HaydenFerdinand Vandeveer HaydenDr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden was an American geologist noted for his pioneering surveying expeditions of the Rocky Mountains in the late 19th century. He was also a physician who served with the Union Army during the Civil War.-Early life:Ferdinand Hayden was born in Westfield, Massachusetts...
(1829–1887), geologist - Charles Herring (1829–1889), Civil War Union brevet brigadier general
- Edward W. HestonEdward W. HestonEdward Warner Heston was a lieutenant colonel in the Pennsylvania militia during the American Revolutionary War and later a Pennsylvania state senator....
(1745–1824), PA state senator and Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
colonel, founder and namesake of HestonvilleBlockley Township, PennsylvaniaBlockley Township is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The township ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.-History:... - Eliza Hewitt (1851–1920), hymn composer
- Henry HornHenry HornHenry Horn was a Jacksonian member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Henry Horn was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and practiced law in Philadelphia....
(1786–1862), U.S. congressman - Charles Jared IngersollCharles Jared IngersollCharles Jared Ingersoll was an American lawyer and Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania...
(1782–1862), U.S. congressman
- William Williams KeenWilliam Williams KeenWilliam Williams Keen was the first brain surgeon in the United States. He also saw Franklin Delano Roosevelt when his paralytic illness struck, and worked closely with six American presidents.-Biography:...
(1837–1932), first U.S. brain surgeon - John Lane (1831–1903), Civil War Union brevet brigadier general
- James Barton LongacreJames Barton LongacreJames Barton Longacre was an American engraver, who was the fourth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1844 until his death. He succeeded Christian Gobrecht in the position as Chief Engraver upon Gobrecht's death...
(1794–1869), engraver - Silas Weir MitchellSilas Weir MitchellSilas Weir Mitchell was an American physician and writer.He was son of a physician, John Kearsley Mitchell , and was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(1829–1914), physician and writer - Samuel MooreSamuel Moore (congressman)Samuel Moore was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Samuel Moore was born in Deerfield, New Jersey . He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia in 1791 then worked as an instructor at the university from 1792 to 1794...
(1774–1861), U.S. congressman - Anna Claypoole PealeAnna Claypoole PealeAnna Claypoole Peale was an American painter, specializing in portrait miniatures and still lifes....
(1791–1878), American miniature painter, daughter of James PealeJames PealeJames Peale was an American painter, best known for his miniature and still life paintings, and a younger brother of noted painter Charles Willson Peale.... - Rembrandt PealeRembrandt PealeRembrandt Peale was an American artist and museum keeper. A prolific portrait painter, he was especially acclaimed for his likenesses of presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson...
(1778–1860), artist - Eli Kirk PriceEli Kirk PriceEli Kirk Price was a Philadelphia lawyer, a commissioner of Fairmount Park from the time of its founding, and a member of the American Philosophical Society....
(1797–1884), lawyer, state senator - Eli Kirk Price IIEli Kirk Price IIEli Kirk Price II was a prominent Philadelphia lawyer, called "the foremost civic and cultural leader in early twentieth-century Philadelphia". He was the commissioner of Fairmount Park during the planning and development of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, of which he was one of the principal...
(1860–1933), lawyer, art patron - Lewis RednerLewis RednerLewis Henry Redner was an American musician, best known as the composer of the popular Christmas carol "St...
(1831–1908), organist, composer, wrote the music for Phillips BrooksPhillips BrooksPhillips Brooks was an American clergyman and author, who briefly served as Bishop of Massachusetts in the Episcopal Church during the early 1890s. In the Episcopal liturgical calendar he is remembered on January 23...
's poem "O Little Town of BethlehemO Little Town of Bethlehem"O Little Town of Bethlehem" is a popular Christmas carol. The text was written by Phillips Brooks , an Episcopal priest, Rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia. He was inspired by visiting the Palestinian city of Bethlehem in 1865. Three years later, he wrote the poem for his...
" - William RushWilliam RushWilliam Rush was a U.S. neoclassical sculptor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is considered the first major American sculptor....
(1756–1833), sculptor - John ScottJohn Scott (Pennsylvania)John Scott was an American lawyer and Republican party politician. He served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate....
(1824–1896), U.S. senator - Thomas Alexander ScottThomas Alexander ScottThomas Alexander Scott was an American businessman. He was the 4th president of what was the largest corporation in the world, the Pennsylvania Railroad, during the middle of the 19th century...
(1823–1881), president of the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.... - Jessie Willcox SmithJessie Willcox SmithJessie Willcox Smith was a United States illustrator famous for her work in magazines such as Ladies Home Journal and for her illustrations for children's books....
(1863–1935), illustrator - Charles StewartCharles Stewart (1778-1869)Charles Stewart was an officer in the United States Navy.Born at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Stewart went to sea at the age of thirteen as a cabin boy and rose through the grades to become master of a merchantman. He grew up with Captain Stephen Decatur and Richard Sommers...
(1778–1869), naval officer - Frank R. StocktonFrank R. StocktonFrank Richard Stockton was an American writer and humorist, best known today for a series of innovative children's fairy tales that were widely popular during the last decades of the 19th century...
(1834–1902), author of "The Lady or the Tiger?" and other tales - Edward T. StotesburyEdward T. StotesburyEdward Townsend "Ned" Stotesbury was a prominent investment banker, a partner in Drexel & Co. and its New York affiliate J. P. Morgan & Co. for over fifty-five years....
(1849–1938), prominent partner at J.P. Morgan & Co. and its Philadelphia affiliate Drexel & Co. for over 55 years - William Moseley SwainWilliam Moseley SwainWilliam Moseley Swain was an American journalist and businessman....
(1809–1868), journalist - James ThompsonJames Thompson (jurist)James Thompson was a politician and jurist from Pennsylvania.Thompson was born in Middlesex Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania on October 1, 1806. After learning the printing trade, Thompson studied law...
(1806–1874), U.S. congressman - John Edgar ThomsonJohn Edgar ThomsonJohn Edgar Thomson was an American civil engineer and industrialist. Thomson was an entrepreneur best known for his leadership of the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1852 until his death 1874, making it the largest business enterprise in the world and a world-class model for technological and...
(1808–1874), civil engineer, railroad executive and industrialist - Rufus WelchRufus Welch"General" Rufus Welch was a leading circus impresarrio in the early-19th century.Welch was born in New Berlin, Chenango County, New York. He initially was a chairmaker. By 1829 he was running a circus with Erman Handy and they took the circus to Cuba. For much of the 1830s he was involved in...
(1800–1855), circus impresario - Asa WhitneyAsa WhitneyAsa Whitney was an American merchant and great railroad promoter. Whitney lived in New Rochelle, New York, just to the north of New York City where he was a highly successful dry-goods merchant....
(1797–1872), railroad magnate - Alan Wood, Jr.Alan Wood, Jr.Alan Wood, Jr. was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Alan Wood, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended private schools and was employed in his father's mill at Delaware Iron Works, near Wilmington, Delaware...
, U.S. congressman - Horatio Curtis Wood (1841–1920), physician
Woodlands Heritage National Recreation Trail
The pathways and avenues of the cemetery and mansion make up the Woodlands Heritage National Recreation Trail, part of the National Recreation TrailNational Recreation Trail
National Recreation Trail is a designation given to existing trails that contribute to health, conservation, and recreation goals in the United States. Over 1,000 trails in all 50 U.S. states, available for public use and ranging from less than a mile to in length, have been designated as NRTs...
program. The cemetery includes a looped road system emanating from a central paved circle with infrequent motor vehicle traffic, making the grounds a safe and quiet place for biking, running and walking. There is also an unpaved path that encircles the perimeter of the grounds that is a popular circuit for University City dog-walkers and runners. Leashed dogs are permitted on the grounds, which are free and open to the public from dawn to dusk.
External links
- The Woodlands - official site
- The Woodlands at Find-A-Grave
- The mansion's listing, drawings, and photographs at the Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
- The cemetery's listing, drawings, and photographs at the Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
- The stable-carriage house's listing and drawings at the Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
- The mansion's listing and images at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
- The cemetery's listing and images at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
- The cemetery gate and drive's listing and images at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings