“Mount Vernon Cemetery“

(click each photo to enlarge

Thanks to The Friends Of Mount Vernon, it is open for guided tours only. You can NOT wander from the the tour and/or go off the path, or generally piss off Volunteer Coordinator, Brandon Zimmerman, in any way shape or form. This is not because he is mean. It is for your safety. The cemetery is SO overgrown, decrepit and in decay that they are still trying to not only UNCOVER graves, but restore them as well. There is one in-ground burial vault that was so overgrown that while cleaning the place up, one person (not knowing it was there) stepped on it and fell through the glass skylight. With nature and the elements taking over this bit of 23 acre land, The Friends of Mount Vernon are doing what they can, with what they can. I would say about 90% of it is still under the brush. They have cleared paths and some important graves to secure financing and get it cleaned up. Because it is so overgrown, they can not bring any heavy equipment in to clear it out because they don't know how structurally sound the road way is and where all the plots are. All work is done by the hands of volunteers.

Please don't get me wrong about Brandon. He is actually a great guy, with funny stories. However, he has to be strict so that they can continue their three year streak of no injuries. As long as they maintain that, the lawyers will continue to allow work and tours to continue. Believe me, this is a place worth saving.

Mount Vernon was built in 1856 in competition with Laurel Hill Cemetery and has a current residency of 33, 000 people. Speaking of the people, let me introduce you to a few. First thing to notice as you walk in is it's direct connection to Laurel Hill Cemetery. The Gatehouse was designed by famed architect John Notman (1810-1865). He also designed the landscaping at Laurel Hill, where he now rests in full few of the Gatehouse that he designed there as well.

The showstopper is the Gardel Memorial, which was built to honor Julia Hawks Gardel (unknown-1859), the principal of a female seminary. It represents several of the Seven Continents and serves as the most recognizable piece of art in this cemetery.

Along our walk, we saw many markers. Some had their names visible and some were either worn away or still embraced by the tight hold that Mother Nature still has on the grounds. As we walked through, we spotted a Red-Tailed Hawk resting on a branch. It could not be bothered by the small group of humans touring the grounds close by and so it simply sat there with its back to us. Savanna told Brandon that they should name it. He allowed her to name him “Spooky”.

Along the tour and/or path we saw the following people. I will only give a brief listing here. I suggest you learn more about them.

~ Alice Hastings (1855-1888)

~ Col. John P. Van Leer (1824-1862) Lieutenant Colonel during the Civil War

~ Henry F. Myers (1864-1914) Saloon Keeper

~ William H. Huston (1746-1788) Continental Congressman and Framer of the United States Constitution.

~ Jonathan Bayard Smith (1742-1812) U.S. Continental Congressman

~ Col. Hans Christian Febiger (1749-17966) Revolutionary War Commander

~ Robert Ralston (1761-1836) Merchant and Philanthropist

~ John V. Hart (1786-1862) Merchant

Just LOOK at this list! There are not just a lot of people buried here, there are a lot of IMPORTANT people buried here.

Then we came to the headliners of the tour. The Barrymore Family. The plot is made up of a combination of the Drew Family and The Barrymore Family. Someone asked me how is it that between the families, the name Drew Barrymore came about. In the time that I have been researching and working with Laurel Hill Cemetery, I have learned that a lot of times, parents wanted to pay tribute to those that came before them. So, they would usually name their children some name of their ancestors. For example, I'll use Charles Vansant who became the subject of my article “The Bite Heard Round The World: The Philadelphia Connection To The First Summer Blockbuster”. His father, Dr. Eugine L. Vansant married Louisa Epting. So, when it came to naming their first born son Charles, his middle name became Epting. Such is the case with Drew Barrymore. In this grave you have:

The Drew Family
~ Louisa Lane Drew (1820-1897)
~ John Drew Sr. (1827-1862) Actor
~ John Drew Jr (1853-1927) Actor
~ Josephine Baker Drew (1854-1918)
~ Sidney White Drew (1863-1919) Actor

I know you're asking other than the name how is Drew Barrymore related? John Drew marries Louisa Lane. They have three children: Louisa Drew (1852–1888) John Drew Jr. and Georgiana Drew. Georgiana Drew marries Maurice Barrymore. Their children are Lionel Barrymore (1878-1954), Ethel Barrymore, and John Sidney Barrymore. John Sydney Barrymore marries silent film actress Dolores Costello. They have three children: Diana Barrymore (1921-1960), Dolores Ethel Mae Barrymore (1930- ) and John Drew Barrymore (1932-2004). John Drew Barrymore marries Jaid Mako. They have 1 child together: Drew Barrymore.

Whew! Ok now that I got that out of the way, let's move on. If you have not been on a tour there, please do so. Now is the time to see it in its early stages of progress. Once all is said and done, the stories of how bad of shape this place is in will not be believed in the future. It was like walking through a jungle with graves scattered throughout. Mount Vernon Cemetery is an important landmark to save. I would really like to see it get up and running. I will definitely be keeping an eye on their progress. Hopefully, I can do some research there as well.