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Charles Evans Cemetery

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Historic cemetery in Reading, Pennsylvania
Charles Evans Cemetery
Details
EstablishedIncorporated March 28, 1846; endowed in 1847
Location1119 Centre Avenue, Reading, Pennsylvania
CountryUnited States
Coordinates40°21′22″N 75°55′50″W / 40.35611°N 75.93056°W / 40.35611; -75.93056
No. of gravesRoughly 72,000
Websitehttp://www.charlesevanscemetery.org/
Find a GraveCharles Evans Cemetery

Charles Evans Cemetery is an historic, nonsectarian, garden-style cemetery located in the city of Reading, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Charles Evans (1768-1847), a son of Quaker parents and native of Philadelphia who became a prominent attorney and philanthropist in Reading during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Early history

After donating the cemetery's first twenty-five acres and $2,000 to support the early development and operations phase of this public burial ground, he then ensured the cemetery's long-term stability by bequeathing a roughly $67,000 endowment from his estate, following his death in 1847 to support beautification of the grounds and other perpetual care activities. Sited atop a hill, the cemetery was initially located outside of the city when Evans first donated the land, but was absorbed into Reading's boundaries as the city developed to meet the needs of its expanding population.

By the 1870s, cemetery administrators had expanded the grounds significantly, according to the Huntingdon Journal, which reported on the cemetery in its September 10, 1873 edition as follows:

The Charles Evans Cemetery, the beautiful "City of the Dead" of Reading contains one hundred acres of ground. The total number of interments within its precincts last year was 483; for the months of January, February, March, April, May, June, and July of this year the number was 267.

Roughly six thousand of the seventy-two thousand individuals interred since the cemetery's establishment have been veterans of the U.S. military, including two thousand men who served during the American Civil War.

Administration

The original members of the cemetery's thirteen-member board of trustees were personally appointed by Charles Evans. They were: John Banks, John S. Hiester, Dr. Isaac Hiester, James L. Dunn, Samuel Bell, Dr. H. H. Muhlenberg, William Strong, Matthias S. Richards, William Darling, Dr. Diller Luther, William Eckert, Benneville Keim, and Peter Filbert. As those men resigned or died, they were succeeded by: Isaac Eckert, Adam Leize, James Milholland, James B. McKnight, G. A. Nicolls, William L. DeBorbon, Charles H. Hunter, J. Pringle Jones, Horatio Trexler, William M. Hiester, Augustus F. Boas, Warren J. Woodward, George D. Stitzel, Henry S. Eckert, John S. Pierson, Hiester Clymer, Henry M. Keim, Thomas D. Stichter, Daniel Ermentrout, Edwin F. Smith, and D. Gregg.

William Clemson was the first superintendent of the cemetery, and Thomas Gallagher was the first grave digger employed by the cemetery. Jacob Gnau was the cemetery's sexton at the time of Charles Evans' death in 1847. Following his death, Clemson was succeeded by Alexander Burnett, who was succeeded by John C. Hepler in 1880.

The first interment at the cemetery took place on May 21, 1847. Mrs. Harriet Norton, the mother of P & R Express Co. executive James L. Norton, was the individual buried that day.

Cemetery managers subsequently issued burial permits, beginning on January 1, 1848. Each permit from that date until through March 1886 was numbered with each year's series of permits "bounded and filed among the archives of the cemetery," according to The Reading Eagle. By the mid-1880s, it was estimated that roughly fifteen thousand burials had been made at the cemetery and at least $125,000 expended for the addition of trees and other ornamentation to the cemetery's grounds, as well as the purchase of additional land for future burials. Payments were made for these expenses by the cemetery's trust and through the sale of cemetery lots, which sold for twenty cents per square foot in the cemetery's oldest section in 1886 and thirty cents per square foot in the newest. The cemetery was also insured, and was "protected by law from taxation, and against the opening of streets through its grounds."

Architecture

View from the cemetery's main gate toward the Stirling mansion, 2020

Visitors arriving via the main gate on Centre Avenue enter through a large, sandstone, Gothic Revival arch, which was erected in 1852, and pass by the grave of the cemetery's founder, Charles Evans, above-ground crypts, obelisks and other monuments to Civil War-era soldiers and other historical figures from Berks County.

In 1895, the cemetery's chapel served as the site for the funeral services of U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Strong (1808-1895). A Yale University law school graduate who became known for his anti-slavery views during the American Civil War, Strong had served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1847 to 1851 and as a Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court prior to his appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1870, a tenure which included his service on the Electoral Commission tasked with resolving America's disputed presidential election of 1876. According to the August 22 Washington, D.C.'s Morning Times:

The body of ex-Justice William Strong arrived in Reading last night and was taken to the chapel in Charles Evans Cemetery. This morning a plaster mask was taken of the face of the deceased by U. S. J. Dunbar, of Washington. The funeral services, which, of brief character, were held in the chapel this afternoon in the presence of the family.... The ceremonies were exceedingly short, consisting of the reading of Scriptures, prayer by Rev. Dr. Teunis Hamlin, pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C., and the Rev. George Heckman, of Olivet Presbyterian Church, this city. No remarks were made. The choir of Olivet Presbyterian Church sang "Lead, kindly light," and "Abide with Me," favorite hymns of the deceased.

In 1927, cemetery administrators opened a Tudor-style office building, followed by a columbarium in 1939. Built with separate chapel and crematorium sections and a bell tower, the columbarium facility is situated on the cemetery's east side near Perry Street. Designed in the Romanesque Italianate style, the artistry and craftsmanship of its windows and bronze door continue to be a subject of attention by photographers even today. On July 31, 1939, the Reading Times reported on this facility's opening as follows:

Charles Evans Cemetery's new crematorium, chapel and columbarium, opened yesterday for public inspection, attracted more than 500 persons. Inspection periods will continue daily from 1 to 5 p. m. The building, erected at the suggestion of the board of trustees, is now ready for use. The functions of the new crematory will be available to all people, regardless of race or - creed, and not restricted to residents of the Reading area. Now complete with landscaping, the building fits into the general pattern of the rest of the cemetery. The main entrance faces the Fifth street highway, and a circular driveway which passes the main doors links with the network lacing the cemetery. The building is designed in Romanesque Italian style and constructed of pink brick with Indiana limestone trimmings. Reinforced concrete was used for all structural parts. Divided into three general sections, which include the chapel, the higher central portion; the south wing, or crematory, and the north wing, or columbarium, the overall dimensions of the structure are 120 feet by 60 feet. The columbarium is divided into four small rooms and one large room, which - will be divided later as the need for expansion arises. Bronze crypts, for family and individual use, line the walls.

The Chapel Garden Museum and Hillside Mausoleum were added, respectively, in 1972 and 1981, and the crematorium's cremation chambers were updated in 1993. Over time, cemetery administrators also purchased additional land. As of 2018, those purchases had expanded the grounds to 119 acres, made accessible by seven miles of paved roads, and beautified by flowering shrubbery and more than 2,200 trees, many of which are old-growth and massive in size.

Notable interments and monuments

Obelisk marking the grave of the cemetery's founder, Charles Evans

Initially buried at the Reformed Church of Reading's cemetery when he died in 1823, the remains of Joseph Hiester, the fifth governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, now rest at the Charles Evans Cemetery, making his grave one of the earliest of the more than sixty-two thousand individuals who have been laid to rest here since the mid-19th century. (At the end of 1911, the total interments had reached thirty thousand four hundred and fourteen, according to the Reading Eagle.)

During the late 1880s, the remains of more than two hundred American Civil War veterans were also interred at Charles Evans after having been exhumed and relocated from potter's fields across Berks County. The site was then elevated in prominence with the placement of the city's Grand Army of the Republic monument. Erected after two years of planning and modeled after bugler Charles Gilliams of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, the G.A.R. sculpture was unveiled before a large crowd on September 10, 1887, and became the gathering point, thereafter, for the city's annual Memorial Day ceremonies.

Other notable figures interred, inurned or otherwise memorialized at Charles Evans include:

See also

Gallery

  • Augustus Heston and Joseph DeLong Augustus Heston and Joseph DeLong
  • Isaac Hiester, M.D. Isaac Hiester, M.D.
  • Peter Muhlenberg Hiester Peter Muhlenberg Hiester
  • Charles Knoderer Charles Knoderer
  • Amelia Muhlenberg Amelia Muhlenberg
  • Henry Augustus Muhlenberg Henry Augustus Muhlenberg
  • Henry A.P. Muhlenberg Henry A.P. Muhlenberg
  • Alexander Schimmelfennig Alexander Schimmelfennig

References

  1. Devlin, Ron. "Charles Evans Cemetery in Reading also is an attractive park." Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, May 16, 2019.
  2. Devlin, Ron. "More than 300 historic graveyards exist in Berks; here's a look at some unique tombstones." Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, April 5, 2019.
  3. “Charles Evans and Wife: Sketch of the Founder of the Charles Evans Cemetery." Reading, Pennsylvania: The Reading Eagle, March 7, 1886, p. 2.
  4. Cemetery History", in "About Charles Evans Cemetery". Reading, Pennsylvania: Charles Evans Cemetery, retrieved online August 23, 2018.
  5. "Charles Evans Cemetery", in "Tit-Bits (sic) Taken on the Fly Archived 2018-08-24 at the Wayback Machine". Huntingdon, Pennsylvania: Huntingdon Journal, September 10, 1873.
  6. Scheid, Lisa. "A stroll through Reading’s Charles Evans Cemetery reveals history and heroism." Pottstown, Pennsylvania: The Mercury, May 28, 2021.
  7. “Charles Evans and Wife: Sketch of the Founder of the Charles Evans Cemetery," The Reading Eagle, March 7, 1886.
  8. “Charles Evans and Wife: Sketch of the Founder of the Charles Evans Cemetery," The Reading Eagle, March 7, 1886.
  9. “Charles Evans and Wife: Sketch of the Founder of the Charles Evans Cemetery," The Reading Eagle, March 7, 1886.
  10. “Charles Evans and Wife: Sketch of the Founder of the Charles Evans Cemetery," The Reading Eagle, March 7, 1886.
  11. "Cemetery History", Charles Evans Cemetery.
  12. "'Cities of the Dead': The Improvements Being Made in the Cemeteries of Reading." Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, April 29, 1885, p. 1.
  13. "Justice Strong's Funeral". Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona Republican, August 22, 1895, p. 1.
  14. "Paid Him Last Tribute: Many Washingtonians at the Funeral of Justice Strong". Washington, D.C.: The Morning Times, August 22, 1895, p. 5.
  15. "Remains of Ex-Justice Strong". Sacramento, California: The Record-Union, August 22, 1895, p. 1.
  16. Scheid, Lisa. "Are Economic Realities Fueling a Switch to Cremations?" Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, May 3, 2015.
  17. "See Cemetery's New Crematorium: Chapel, Columbarium Open for Inspection". Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Times, July 31, 1939, p. 9.
  18. "Cemetery History", Charles Evans Cemetery.
  19. Youker, Darrin. "Were City Graves Relocated to Charles Evans Cemetery? Archived 2018-08-24 at the Wayback Machine", in "You Ask Youker". Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, June 10, 2010.
  20. "720 Burials at Charles Evans in 1911", in "May Write a Short Message to Councils". Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, January 4, 1912, p. 1.
  21. Homan, Wayne E. "The Poignant History of the GAR Monument", in The Historical Review of Berks County, Fall 2004. Reading, Pennsylvania: Berks History Center, retrieved online August 23, 2018.
  22. "Charles Evans Cemetery Memorial Day Services". Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, May 28, 1915.
  23. "Memorial Day Rites Held at Graves of Hero Dead". Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, May 31, 1931, p. 1.
  24. "Former POW Jim DeLong speaks at Reading's Memorial Day ceremony Archived 2018-08-24 at the Wayback Machine". Allentown and Reading, Pennsylvania: WFMZ-TV, May 27, 2013.
  25. Devlin, Ron. "Berks Prepares to Mark 150th Anniversary of Memorial Day: A descendant of a Civil War veteran will read the original Decoration Day proclamation in City Park and again in Charles Evans Cemetery". Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, May 27, 2018.
  26. Funeral of Col. Knoderer Archived 2018-08-25 at the Wayback Machine". Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Gazette and Democrat, February 28, 1863.
  27. "A. Jordan Swartz, Esq.", in "Personal Archived 2018-08-24 at the Wayback Machine". Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Daily Evening Bulletin, July 31, 1865.
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  30. "De Benneville Keim, War Reporter, Is Dead: Friend and Confidant of Gen. Grant, Who Regarded Him Highly". Washington, D.C.: Evening Star, May 25, 1913, p. 3.
  31. Posten, Bruce. "Unsung Heroines Celebrated: Women Who Tended to Sick and Injured of World War I Had Berks Ties". Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, November 10, 2017.
  32. Reed, Irene, ed. Berks County Women in History: Profiles, Vol. 2 (Amanda E. Stout), pp. 260-261. Leesport, Pennsylvania: Tudor Gate Press, 2008. ISBN 0-9740949-7-8
  33. "Matilda Edwards Strong", in "Historic Berks Tombstones Tell Tales: Historic Graveyards in Berks, with Simple as Well as Ornate Markers, Serve as Testaments to Lives Lived Long Ago". Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, October 30, 2015.
  34. "Boyer". Reading Daily Times. 1867-09-02. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-06-06 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
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