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Old Germantown Poor House Burial Ground

Also known as Old Germantown Potter's Field , Old Germantown Alms House Burial Ground

Germantown, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

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  • Get directions West Rittenhouse Avenue and Greene Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19144, United States
    Coordinates: 40.03579, -75.17897
  • This cemetery is marked as being historical or removed.
  • No longer accepting burials
  • Cemetery ID:

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In the days when Pennsylvania was a colony, and on after independence into the 19th century, individual townships were responsible for the upkeep and care of the poor who resided within their boundaries. Soon after the Germantown Almshouse was organized, the Managers for the Employment and Relief of Poor for the Township of Germantown, on March 29th, 1807, purchased a two-acre parcel from the Rittenhouse family to establish their poor house. The parcel was located on West Rittenhouse Street between Tulls court and Greene Street. At the same time, a grave yard was laid out along Greene Street for interment of the indigent dead.

The inmates of the poor house were put to work on the farm, each one doing something. For a number of years the cellar of the big house was also used as cells, or prison, by the local constabulary. In 1832, a cholera building was built at the corner of West Rittenhouse and Greene Streets as a pest house; some of the sick there died in the epidemic and were buried there in the potter's field.

The building Germantown Poor House until a larger building was constructed beyond Wayne Avenue in 1871. The ground belonging to the old property was divided into lots & sold, and the bodies were removed afterward to new burying ground on Queen Street near Pulaski Avenue.

In the days when Pennsylvania was a colony, and on after independence into the 19th century, individual townships were responsible for the upkeep and care of the poor who resided within their boundaries. Soon after the Germantown Almshouse was organized, the Managers for the Employment and Relief of Poor for the Township of Germantown, on March 29th, 1807, purchased a two-acre parcel from the Rittenhouse family to establish their poor house. The parcel was located on West Rittenhouse Street between Tulls court and Greene Street. At the same time, a grave yard was laid out along Greene Street for interment of the indigent dead.

The inmates of the poor house were put to work on the farm, each one doing something. For a number of years the cellar of the big house was also used as cells, or prison, by the local constabulary. In 1832, a cholera building was built at the corner of West Rittenhouse and Greene Streets as a pest house; some of the sick there died in the epidemic and were buried there in the potter's field.

The building Germantown Poor House until a larger building was constructed beyond Wayne Avenue in 1871. The ground belonging to the old property was divided into lots & sold, and the bodies were removed afterward to new burying ground on Queen Street near Pulaski Avenue.

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  • Added: 9 Sep 2023
  • Find a Grave Cemetery ID: 2785475