Allegheny Cemetery

Courtesy of Marty Aligata

26 March 2016

Location:
4734 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Description:

Allegheny Cemetery stands as one of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's most extensive and oldest burial grounds, renowned for its historic rural setting. Nestled on a non-sectarian wooded hillside park at 4734 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood, it is flanked by the Bloomfield, Garfield, and Stanton Heights areas, offering a serene vista on the north-facing slopes overlooking the Allegheny River.

In 1973, the cemetery's Butler Street Gatehouse earned recognition on the National Register of Historic Places, followed by the entire cemetery's listing in 1980.

Established in 1844, Allegheny Cemetery ranks as the sixth oldest rural cemetery in the United States and has expanded over the years to encompass 300 acres. Serving as the final resting place for more than 124,000 individuals, it holds a rich history, including the reinterment of soldiers from the French and Indian War and numerous notable figures from Pittsburgh. Notably, it was featured in the PBS documentary "A Cemetery Special."

The cemetery's inception stemmed from the vision of three members of the Third Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh in 1834, namely Dr. J. Ramsey Speer, Stephen Colwell, and John Chislett Sr. Inspired by renowned rural cemeteries like Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston and Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, they selected Colonel Bayard's 100-acre farm as the site. Following the passage of an Act of Incorporation in 1844, Allegheny Cemetery became a reality.

In 1848, Mt. Barney was designated as a memorial site for naval heroes, including Commodore Joshua Barney and Lt. James L. Parker, whose remains were reinterred there. In a poignant ceremony on Memorial Day in 1937, a new memorial was unveiled at Allegheny Cemetery, honoring over 7,000 servicemen laid to rest within its grounds.