I just checked out http://www.mountmoriahcemetery.org, and what I saw had to be one of the most despicable things ever. Upturned grave markers, empty caskets, dog skulls, an abandoned building full of embalming fluid, sofas, trash and etc., and years of vandalization and neglect.

You can say that it's due to the fact that the cemetery is located in SW Phila, on Kingsessing Ave, where it's real ghetto aroungd that area, but that's no excuse as to why the cemetery looks like that. I grew up in Brooklyn, and a mile away from where I lived, was a cemetery called Holy Cross Cemetery, which was owned by the acrhdiocese of NYC. It looked pretty good, even though it was surrounded by a bunch of ghettoes. Evergreen Cemetery and Cypress Hills Cemeteries are also located between the rough parts of Brooklyn, but the cemeteried are taken care of as well.

I just don't see how you can do that to dead people. The people who owned that cemetery should be ashamed of themselves. At least the Civil War section looks decent.

It is sad. The weird thing is that it continues to operate. Both the city and private parties continue to bury people in that cemetary. I actually am kind of fond of driving out to that cemetary to check out all the decayed and tipping monuments. Its dramatic as all get out in person. The ruins of the old building in the front that look like they have been there for a thousand years but really has just been there from the '30s. My wife and I shot a great roll of film out there a couple years back. Its defiinitely an interesting excursion (done in the daytime of course) and easily accomplished as the 13 trolley stops right in front of it.

That part of SW isn't even really that dangerous anymore - just half empty. The bad parts of Kingsessing are a little further in. Lets hope Francophone West African's continue to pour into that area and breath a little life into SW, maybe turn it into Little Cote D'Ivoire.

I also heard that Laurel Hill Cemetery in North Phila was also pretty messed up, though not to the extent of Mount Moriah. I believe it's the only cemtery in America that's a National Historic Monument. Hopefully, when Strawberry Mansion gets better as a community, the cemetery will look a lot better than in it's heyday.

I don't have a lot of time to write about graves today, but there is a local organization that is trying to catalog local Revolutionary Soldier grave sites.

http://www.sar.org/passar/graves

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Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. - Robert Orben

Don't hold your breath waiting for Strawberry Mansion to get better. SMHS is probably one of the worst HS in the city and the city has not stated that they will extend the catchment area of the new Microsoft School to Strawberry Mansion. This is one of the most dangerous areas in the entire city.

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"If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed." -- David Viscott

I recently found out I have family buried at Mount Moriah, but I haven't gone to look for them yet since I've heard about the neglect.

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Philadelphia Metblogs | Potterdelphia

Go during the day but go. SW Philly is sad but its not like there is constant gunfire or anything. As I said earlier, out by Mt. Moriah its desolate (lots of abandonned houses) but its nowhere as bad as Mantua/Mill Creek or Strawberry Mansion. About half the time the 13 trolley doesn't go all the way out to Darby but turns around right by the cemetary so there is usually a couple of of trolleys waiting right by the entrance to the cemetary with operators standing around drinking coffee and smoking cigaretes.

Its kind of starkly beautiful in its neglect actually. Even before this thread I had recomended it as a visually dramatic excursion to other West Philly-ites many times.