What cemetery in Philadelphia was declared a National Historic Landmark?
Laurel Hill Cemetery, located at 3822 Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia, was place on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark on August 5, 1998 thanks to the work of the Friends of the Laurel Hill Cemetery. The first American rural cemetery was founded in Cambridge, MA in 1831, and shortly after John Jay Smith and a group of investors wanted Philadelphia to have the second rural cemetery in America. They acquired land about four miles north of Philadelphia overlooking the Schuylkil River. In 1836 the group organized the Laurel Hill Cemetery Company, and John Notman was the designer of the cemetery. The Laurel Hill Cemetery now covers 95 acres. Source: Philadelphia Graveyards and Cemeteries, 2003, p.21-23, Thomas H. Keels, 974.802 K248P, See also the National Historic Landmarks website.
