Mount Moriah Cemetery & Arboretum

Mount Moriah Cemetery & Arboretum Founded in 1855, the 200-acre Mount Moriah Cemetery spans Philadelphia and Yeadon along Cobbs Creek Parkway.

Once abandoned in 2011, it is now cared for and maintained by dedicated volunteers committed to preserving this historic sacred space. The all volunteer Friends of Mount Moriah group holds regular events throughout the year and welcomes new volunteers. If you're interested in volunteering, contact [email protected]. All other inquiries, including burial lookups, can be directed to [email protected].

At our history crew. The below pic is of Harry Houdini at the grave of William Parker aka Robert Heller - magician. Do w...
09/28/2026

At our history crew. The below pic is of Harry Houdini at the grave of William Parker aka Robert Heller - magician. Do we know where this might be?

09/20/2026

Due to the weather, the bird walk with BirdPhilly tomorrow has been canceled. We will update our event page with a new date once we have more details!

Happy National Nonprofit Day! For more than 15 years, the Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery have worked to protect and re...
08/17/2026

Happy National Nonprofit Day! For more than 15 years, the Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery have worked to protect and restore this historic piece of Philadelphia. From clearing and maintaining sections to resetting and cleaning stones, maintaining equipment and improving security measures, your support makes this work possible.

Every donation, volunteer hour and show of support helps us care for Mount Moriah and preserve its stories for generations to come. We couldn't do it without you!

Give today: https://friendsofmountmoriahcemetery.org/support/

If you’d like to lend your time, email us at [email protected] to learn more about volunteeropportunities.

Got this great old picture from Walter Blenderman. Had to show it now. Section 50, sure could use someone to adopt it re...
08/16/2026

Got this great old picture from Walter Blenderman. Had to show it now. Section 50, sure could use someone to adopt it regularly. Click on the older pic to see a great car too!

“Nature has done all that could be wished for Mount Moriah. The great diversity of the surface, the variety of landscape...
08/11/2026

“Nature has done all that could be wished for Mount Moriah. The great diversity of the surface, the variety of landscape, the hills overlooking the country for miles around, the slopes and ravines, the winding stream which gives so great a charm to the ground, and the great extent of the Cemetery fringed with the foliage of old forest trees, all strike the observant visitor with equal surprise and pleasure.” - Mount Moriah Cemetery booklet, dated 1871

As more people learn about Mount Moriah, we wanted to share some background about the cemetery, our organization, and th...
07/27/2026

As more people learn about Mount Moriah, we wanted to share some background about the cemetery, our organization, and the work happening behind the scenes. We put together this FAQ to answer some common questions and highlight how you can get involved: https://tinyurl.com/yc5kk66t

33 years ago today. The Jamison children were lost in a terrible house fire. Their monument is right near the Kingsessin...
07/25/2026

33 years ago today. The Jamison children were lost in a terrible house fire. Their monument is right near the Kingsessing entrance, and we lovingly remember them today!
Six children perished in a tragic South Philadelphia row house fire on July 25, 1993: Cordelia Jamison (6), Odell Jamison (3), Vashti Jamison (2), twins Jaleel and Jesica Jamison (19 months), and their cousin Kevin Jamison (5).
Survivors: Two other siblings, Keith (11) and Lakisha (8), managed to escape the home with minor smoke inhalation injuries.

While the 1993 Jamison family fire is a historical event, its modern consequences exist through systemic shifts in urban fire safety, public housing regulations, and sociological research.The legacy

1. Broadened Smoke Detector Mandates-- During the early 1990s, the lack of functional smoke alarms in multi-family and low-income row houses was a persistent crisis in Philadelphia. Tragedies like the Jamison fire forced the city to transition from simply recommending detectors to passing strict modern municipal codes. Today, Philadelphia landlords are legally required to install 10-year sealed lithium-battery smoke alarms on every level of a home, and the Philadelphia Fire Department runs proactive programs providing free alarm installations for low-income residents.

2. Legal Precedent on Child Supervision-- The decision by the District Attorney’s office regarding whether to charge the mother, Vashti Jamison, became part of a larger, ongoing legal and ethical discussion regarding poverty and "subtraction of care." It highlighted the systemic issue of single, low-income parents lacking access to affordable childcare. In modern legal and social work frameworks, cases like this are studied to differentiate between intentional child neglect and the desperate constraints of systemic poverty.

3. The Jamison fire remains a benchmark case-- cited in sociological research regarding urban fire disparities. Modern public health studies—such as those mapping fire risks in major cities—frequently reference the early 1990s Philadelphia fire epidemics to demonstrate how substandard housing infrastructure, high child-to-adult ratios, and lack of resources directly correlate to higher child mortality rates in low-income neighborhoods.

4. Blueprint for Modern Disaster Response--The sheer scale of losing six children from one family fundamentally changed how local organizations, like the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, handle mass-casualty residential displacements. It helped shape modern trauma-informed care and immediate mental health counseling protocols for surviving family members and neighborhood peers.

Tree-shaped headstones rose in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rich in meaning, trees can represen...
07/23/2026

Tree-shaped headstones rose in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rich in meaning, trees can represent life, growth, and connection, while a carved stump is often used to mark a life cut short. In some cases, these markers also reflect the idea of a family tree, honoring lineage and remembrance.

It's National Ice Cream Day! To celebrate, we're highlighting one of our notable burials: Lewis Dubois Bassett, the foun...
07/19/2026

It's National Ice Cream Day! To celebrate, we're highlighting one of our notable burials: Lewis Dubois Bassett, the founder of Bassett's Ice Cream.

A Quaker schoolteacher and farmer by trade, Lewis began making ice cream in 1861 as a way to supplement his income. By 1885 he'd moved operations to a storefront at 5th and Market Streets in Philadelphia. In 1892, he relocated once more to the newly opened Reading Terminal Market, where the still family-owned company keeps a store to this day, over 130 years later.

Lewis and other Bassett family members are buried here in Section 204, Lot 5. In recent years, members of the Bassett family have returned to Mount Moriah to celebrate ice cream days with us, honoring Lewis's legacy right where he rests.

📸: Al Wilson

Address

6201 Kingsessing Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
19142

Opening Hours

Saturday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 10:30am - 4:30pm

Website

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