Founded in 1836 and designed by Scottish architect John Notman, this was the nation's second major rural cemetery. With its rolling landscape, horticultural plantings, and eclectic architecture, it offered a romantic alternative to the crowded urban environment.
Overlooking the Schuylkill River, 3.5 miles north of center-city, it had grown by 1861 to 78 acres. This cemetery was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. (Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission)
From its inception, Laurel Hill was intended as a civic institution designed for public use. In an era before public parks and museums, it was a multi-purpose cultural attraction where the general public could experience the art and refinement previously known only to the wealthy.
Narrator: Dr. Terminus Contagion
Singer "Mary Had a Little Lamb": Chrissy McManis
Special thanks to the staff of Laurel Hill Cemetery
MUSIC: "A Singular Perversion" "Ossuary 1 A Beginning" "Aftermath" "Come Play with Me" "Echoes of Time" "Ghost Story" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS, Reproduction number HABS PA-1811
Historic American Buildings Survey, C., Notman, J., Sidney, J. C., Smith, J. J., Brown, F., Dunn, N. [...] Wunsch, A. V., Smalling, W., Boucher, J. E. & Elliott, J., photographer. (1933) Laurel Hill Cemetery,Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA. Pennsylvania Philadelphia Philadelphia County, 1933. Documentation Compiled After. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/pa0961/
Rocky Footage courtesy of: Rocky II: Sylvester Stallone and United Artists Rocky 6 (Creed): Sylvester Stallone and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
