Office Hours: This cemetery is administered by Washington Crossing National Cemetery. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Visitation Hours: Open daily 8:00 a.m. to sunset.
FAX: 215-504-5611
Philadelphia National Cemetery is located in Philadelphia County, Pa., two miles north of Germantown in the city of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia National Cemetery was one of 14 national cemeteries established in 1862, and it was one of several established near large troop-recruitment and training areas. In its first year, the cemetery was composed of burial lots in seven different locations that were either donated to or purchased by the federal government. These were intended to be used specifically for soldiers who died in one of the many hospitals in the Philadelphia area. In 1885, the United States purchased a little over 13 acres from Henry J. and Susan B. Freeman to concentrate the scattered remains of soldiers into one geographic location. The remains were disinterred and consolidated at this location, occupied by Philadelphia National Cemetery today.
Philadelphia National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Monuments and Memorials
The Mexican War Monument is a marble obelisk that was erected by the Scott Legion in honor of 38 men who served and died in that conflict. The men were originally buried at Glenwood Cemetery and were re-interred at Philadelphia National Cemetery in 1927. The date of dedication is unknown.
The Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument was erected by the United States in 1911. The monument is a rusticated granite monument that commemorates 184 Confederate soldiers and sailors whose remains were re-interred at the cemetery from other locations after the Civil War.
The Revolutionary War Memorial is a granite and bronze memorial that commemorates those who died in the Revolutionary War.
Medal of Honor Recipients
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Recipients receive the Medal of Honor from the president on behalf of Congress. It was first awarded during the Civil War and eligibility criteria for the Medal of Honor have changed over time.
Recipients buried or memorialized here:
Seaman Alphonse Girandy. Alphonse Girandy was born in the French West Indies and he immigrated to the United States. In 1896 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and received naturalized citizenship. Seaman Girandy served on the U.S.S. Brooklyn during his first tour, and in 1899 he re-enlisted. Between 1900 and 1904 Girandy was on the U.S.S. Petrel when, in 1901, the ship caught fire. His actions, “fearlessly exposing own life to danger for the saving of others,” were recognized in March 1902 when Girandy received the Medal of Honor. As a civilian, he lived in Philadelphia, where he died on April 3, 1941. He is buried in Section N, Site 66.
Major General Galusha Pennypacker (Civil War). Pennypacker received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry, for actions at Fort Fisher, North Carolina, January 15, 1865. Pennypacker died in 1916 and is buried in Section OFF, Site 175.
Other Burials
Sixty-six Buffalo Soldiers.
Office Hours: This cemetery is administered by Washington Crossing National Cemetery. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Visitation Hours: Open daily 8:00 a.m. to sunset.
FAX: 215-504-5611
Philadelphia National Cemetery is located in Philadelphia County, Pa., two miles north of Germantown in the city of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia National Cemetery was one of 14 national cemeteries established in 1862, and it was one of several established near large troop-recruitment and training areas. In its first year, the cemetery was composed of burial lots in seven different locations that were either donated to or purchased by the federal government. These were intended to be used specifically for soldiers who died in one of the many hospitals in the Philadelphia area. In 1885, the United States purchased a little over 13 acres from Henry J. and Susan B. Freeman to concentrate the scattered remains of soldiers into one geographic location. The remains were disinterred and consolidated at this location, occupied by Philadelphia National Cemetery today.
Philadelphia National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Monuments and Memorials
The Mexican War Monument is a marble obelisk that was erected by the Scott Legion in honor of 38 men who served and died in that conflict. The men were originally buried at Glenwood Cemetery and were re-interred at Philadelphia National Cemetery in 1927. The date of dedication is unknown.
The Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument was erected by the United States in 1911. The monument is a rusticated granite monument that commemorates 184 Confederate soldiers and sailors whose remains were re-interred at the cemetery from other locations after the Civil War.
The Revolutionary War Memorial is a granite and bronze memorial that commemorates those who died in the Revolutionary War.
Medal of Honor Recipients
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Recipients receive the Medal of Honor from the president on behalf of Congress. It was first awarded during the Civil War and eligibility criteria for the Medal of Honor have changed over time.
Recipients buried or memorialized here:
Seaman Alphonse Girandy. Alphonse Girandy was born in the French West Indies and he immigrated to the United States. In 1896 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and received naturalized citizenship. Seaman Girandy served on the U.S.S. Brooklyn during his first tour, and in 1899 he re-enlisted. Between 1900 and 1904 Girandy was on the U.S.S. Petrel when, in 1901, the ship caught fire. His actions, “fearlessly exposing own life to danger for the saving of others,” were recognized in March 1902 when Girandy received the Medal of Honor. As a civilian, he lived in Philadelphia, where he died on April 3, 1941. He is buried in Section N, Site 66.
Major General Galusha Pennypacker (Civil War). Pennypacker received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry, for actions at Fort Fisher, North Carolina, January 15, 1865. Pennypacker died in 1916 and is buried in Section OFF, Site 175.
We would love to hear what you think. Use the feedback button at the bottom right corner of any page to send us your thoughts.
You can use the "Back to the old site" link in the yellow bar at the top of each page to return to the old site for now.
Sign in or Register
Member Sign In
There is a problem with your email/password.
We’ve updated the security on the site. Please reset your password.
Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Please contact Find a Grave at support@findagrave.com if you need help resetting your password.
This account has been disabled. If you have questions, please contact support@findagrave.com
Email not found
Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person.
A system error has occurred. Please try again later.
A password reset email has been sent to EmailID. If you don't see an email, please check your spam folder.
We encountered an unknown problem. Please wait a few minutes and try again. If the problem persists contact Find a Grave.
Password Reset
Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code.
New Member Register
Email is mandatory
Your password must be at least 8 characters
Invalid Email
You must agree to Terms of service
Account already exist
Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox
Internal Server error occurred
If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map
You must select an email preference
Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters.
We just emailed an activation code to
Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account.
Plot Cemetery using Map
Plot Memorial using Map
Plot Location using Map
Place the pin on the map to continue.
Place the pin on the map to plot a location.
Browse
REGION
COUNTRY
STATE
COUNTY
CITY
Please select a county or city to continue.
Find a Grave Video Tutorials
Default Language
Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to feedback@findagrave.com and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Thanks for your help!
Preferred Language
We have set your language to based on information from your browser.