The Woodlands (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) - Cemetery (1840-1960)

Cemetery (1840-1960)

Following Hamilton's death in 1813, his heirs sold off much of the Woodlands estate for institutional and residential development. By the first quarter of the 19th Century, the West Philadelphia district was becoming a fashionable suburb. In order to save the core of Hamilton's estate, in 1840, The Woodlands Cemetery Company of Philadelphia purchased the last 92 acres (370,000 m2), which included the mansion, carriage house, greenhouse and hot houses, as well as extensive plantings. The founders concluded The Woodlands' isolated location, its array of exotic trees and its commanding view of the Schuylkill River provided an ideal site for a rural cemetery. During this period the "Garden" or rural cemetery was becoming a popular alternative to crowded and unhygienic urban burial grounds. Rural cemeteries were usually non-sectarian and were distinguished by their diverse and elaborate landscaping and architecture. An early advertisement touted their wholesome atmosphere where "... the decaying bodies of the dead may securely moulder into kindred dust, with an abundant vegetation and free winds to absorb and dissipate all noxious effluvia."

As with its rival to the north, Laurel Hill Cemetery, trustees of the Woodlands spurred the cemetery's early growth by interring the remains of a celebrity, Commodore David Porter. His remains, originally buried at the Philadelphia Naval Asylum cemetery, were reburied at Woodlands in 1845. By mid-century, The Woodlands was thriving and attracted many of Philadelphia's renowned industrialists, medical professionals, artists, writers, and veterans.

In 1853, the land along the river was sold to the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad, which built a rail line along it. Over the next century, other railroads, particularly the Pennsylvania Railroad, added tracks. (Today, eight tracks run along former Woodlands land, serving Amtrak passenger trains, Conrail freight, and the SEPTA Airport and Media commuter lines.)