saving a cemetery

 Interview Transcript

 

Date: 9/19/2012

 

Student Name: Susan Kolber Interviewee Name: Paulette Rhone

 

Group / Association: Friends of Mount Moriah

 

General Topic / Interest: Cemetery

 

 

I was introduced to Paulette this past March in an old church basement, where a public Friends of Mount Moriah Board meeting was being held. I hadn’t visited Mount Moriah, but my friend Jared told me about this amazing cemetery in West Philadelphia that had been left untouched for years. Jared and I were the youngest in the room by 20 or 30 years. But my gut reaction to this well run meeting was that people were extraordinarily passionate about this cemetery and caring for its revival. My first visit was at 6:30 am on a cold morning in March, and the eerie but stunning experience of walking in and around ivy overgrown 20ft tall monuments struck me. When do you experience nature and history and culture in such a juxtaposed setting. This is an American ruin-- Mount Moriah Cemetery.

I’m still piecing together her history, but Paulette has taken on the challenge of restoring this 150 acre abandoned cemetery. While a group called “Friends of Mount Moriah” has existed for several years, when the cemetery was officially abandoned in 2011, Paulette became president of their board. Her husband is buried in Mount Moriah, but her deep connection with reviving this idle sight goes farther than honoring the space of where her husband lies.  It’s about connecting the community surrounding this cemetery with their history; connect people to their untold history. While many cemeteries in Philadelphia were racially segregated, Mount Moriah possibly since its opening in 1855 has allowed all burials. Different religious communities owned sections of the cemetery, but it was not controlled by one religious organization.  The diversity of the cemetery’s history is what excites her, what she feels called to unveil and share.

For the past year she and the small board organized mass volunteer groups to come clean the cemetery. While for me I have mixed feelings about “the cleaning” strategy. Its clear that people feel a duty to care for the grave sites.

Tonight we spoke briefly.  This Saturday 200 Villanova student volunteers are coming to the Mount Moriah to clean. It will probably be their largest clean up.

Here’s what we talked about:

 

[SK] [Because the cemetery is legally abandoned, the city formed a appointed but volunteer board to begin figuring out what to do with the space] Can you tell me about the board for Friends of Mount Moriah?

[PH] “We are moving to meetings every two weeks. It’s slow. People are cautious about their commitment and liabilities.”

 

[SK] Can you tell me about what’s happened this summer? Has there been exciting moments for you?

[PH] “We found three African Americans buried at Mount Moriah prior to Henry Davis in 1862. We had heavy equipment come out twice, bobcats took out a hundred of those (invasive I can’t remember what she said) sumac looking trees. Big 40ft dumpster hauled away a lot of trash. There’s just one big pile left. Yeadon looks very big—it’s been a collective effort.

To see that accomplishment, to see people come back, ride through, bring flowers, work on their family plot, see kids ride their bikes through the cemetery….theirs life—its just not death. There’s still so much to do, but when you see a mother cry and say thank you for cleaning her murdered son’s gravesite…it’s the little things. People helping.

 

[SK] What’s happening this weekend

[PH] A hundred plus  Villanova volunteers are coming to help clean and take a photo inventory of a tombstones  in the cemetery we have no record of. We need team leaders (you should come). Build on and Friends of Cobbs Creek are coming too.