The Nanny

Mount Moriah gatehouse, by Frank Rausch

Here’s a creepy little story for your Halloween/Day of the Dead enjoyment. Back around 2014, I was leading a photo tour of Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia (that's me in the green hat). Around the time these photographs were taken (by my friend Frank Rausch), a woman around my age (in her fifties) came up to me and shared a fascinating piece of her personal history. I’ll paraphrase:

“When I was growing up, I used to live in that house across the street,” she said, pointing to a house on the corner of Kingsessing Avenue and Cemetery Road. “We had a nanny who used to bring us over to the cemetery. A few days after my First Holy Communion, our nanny had my brother and I dress in our church clothes and she brought us over here to take our pictures. I was maybe eight, and my brother five. I had on a white dress and he had on a little dark suit. She had us lie down in the grass on our backs, right here on the graves in front of the gatehouse. We were holding flowers in our folded hands and she had us close our eyes while she photographed us.”

I was speechless. Especially as I had recently seen the 2013 film documentary, “Finding Vivian Maier.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er8-Vq__cRE&feature=youtu.be). It’s a glimpse into the life of Vivian Maier, a loner who worked as a nanny decades ago; she was also an amateur street photographer.

Mount Moriah Cemetery, Philadelphia

I quickly researched Maier’s history, thinking that she may have left Chicago and came to Philadelphia! Having the children play dead seemed like something she might have done. 

Maier was a nanny who cared for children for about 4 decades from the late 1950s through the 1990s. She was an odd loner who photographed urban life - a street photographer. She often photographed her charges, while she took them on outings and for walks through the not-so-nice parts of Chicago. She traveled a bit, so I was rather curious if the woman on my tour had come into contact with her. The woman at Mount Moriah did not remember her nanny’s name. However - she told me she still has the photos! The nanny gave her copies! (If you're out there reading this, I would SO love to see them!)

Vivian Maier’s story was far from normal. Maier was an avid amateur photographer, shooting three rolls of film most days with her Rolleiflex camera. She did this for decades while walking around the cities of first New York, then Chicago. She rarely printed her images, and seemed to have had a compulsive need to document the people around her, doing their everyday things. She caught people in candid, somewhat unflattering poses. She processed her film and hoarded the negatives that she made. At the time of her death in 2009, her life’s work, and most of her belongings, was sold at auction for unpaid rent of a storage facility. 

In 2007, a real estate agent named John Maloof bought the trunk of her film and negatives at auction for $380.  He was intrigued at the vast amount of work, and thought it might prove interesting. Turned out to be a treasure trove of 100,000 negatives and 700 rolls of undeveloped film! As Maloof pored over the work, he quickly realized it was the work of a master photographer. A great artist whom no one would ever have known existed, if not for Maloof’s research, archiving, printing, and documenting Maier’s work in the aforementioned film documentary. Maier was a master of her art, a street photographer extraordinaire with very few equals. Her work is easily on par with that of famous professional street photographers such as Weegee and Mary Ellen Mark. Her posed portraiture (including self-portraits) reminds one of Diane Arbus’ work.

The film Maloof made, “Finding Vivian Maier,” is rather amazing. I highly recommend it. This compelling, haunting, and captivating story shows Maier as a sort of memory hoarder, documenting urban American streetlife as no one else had in the 1960s and 1970s. Subsequent notoriety of Maier’s work sparked a renaissance in street photography. 

Photograph by Frank Rausch

Maloof never found Maier, who died around the time he attempted to locate her. Chances are she never would have approved of the world making such a fuss over her work. Like the glimpse of life revealed to me by the woman on my photo tour, Maier gives us a glimpse of how life appeared to her. Turns out Vivian Maier never came to Philadelphia, so the nanny in the Mount Moriah story was some other … person. I almost wrote “oddball,” because, as my dearly departed father used to say, “Edward, we’re all a little bit crazy.”

REFERENCES:

http://www.vivianmaier.com/about-vivian-maier/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMD3YupiuU4&fbclid=IwAR3Gb7-YjRxgkjCfUBhz82vLMeH4Elxbrphj6EpPQ8ijQUGmFKATJ52aQiM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81B6p1xEpTg

https://thecemeterytraveler.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-nannys-photographs.html

Historic Gatehouse Stabilization

Mount Moriah Cemetery gatehouse, Philadelphia, August, 2016

One of Philadelphia’s historic gems is off the beaten path. It is miles from the Liberty Bell historic district. However, visitors who appreciate American history would do well to make the trek to Mount Moriah Cemetery in southwest Philadelphia. After all, Betsy Ross is buried here.

Photo by Ken Smith, FOMMCI

The cemetery and its 1855 brownstone gatehouse have recently been recognized with official historic status, as you can see from this 2016 plaque. The problem is, Mount Moriah and its gatehouse had been left to crumble since the 1970s. The gatehouse is really nothing more than a façade at this point. The cemetery, by 2011, was an overgrown forest.

Since 2011, an all-volunteer organization, The Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Inc., with help from thousands of volunteers from all walks of life, have been slowly but surely bringing the massive cemetery back from the brink. At a reputed 380 acres (ref.), it is the largest cemetery in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2011, it was no doubt the largest abandoned cemetery in the nation.

The iconic gatehouse, which sits at the original entrance to the cemetery, is of prime concern to the preservation and rejuvenation of the historic cemetery. A large portion of the structure was destroyed by fire decades ago and the walls have literally been tumbling down over the past two years. In 2011, this beautiful piece of architecture was covered with vines, hidden by trees, and filled with old car tires and other trash. One of the Friends board members remarked to me that the vines may have been the only thing holding the gatehouse together.

2012 photo of Mount Moriah Cemetery gatehouse, by Ed Snyder

In 2016, the Friends, in conjunction with the recently-formed Mount Moriah Cemetery Preservation Corporation “...secured a $22,000 grant from the Mayor’s Fund to be used toward the rescue of the gatehouse.” The corporation found a contractor who could do the work for $32,500 and the Friends group led a fundraising effort to make up the shortfall.

Rear of gatehouse, looking toward Kingsessing Avenue

Work began on the stabilization of the gatehouse in the summer of 2016. The photos you see here with most of the final bracing in place, were made in August, 2016.

In 2016, the cemetery and its gatehouse became a recognized landmark by the American Institute of Architects; it is on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places and has been deemed eligible for the National Register.

Mount Moriah gatehouse, c.1855

While the gatehouse may never be restored to architect Stephen Decatur Button’s original design, the original façade will be preserved. In future, this can perhaps be repurposed as a columbarium, a structure of vaults with recesses for urns containing cremated remains.

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For more information and/or to donate to Mount Moriah’s preservation, please see our website:

http://friendsofmountmoriahcemetery.org/

For up-to-the-minute (literally!) updates on the many ongoing restoration efforts, please see The Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Inc. Facebook Group page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Fommci/

Resurrecting Mount Moriah Cemetery's Gatehouse, PLANPHILLY, August 10, 2016

Friends and Family Day at Mount Moriah Cemetery: Oct. 10, 2015

Philadelphia's Mount Moriah Cemetery celebrates its 160th Anniversary with Friends and Families on Saturday, October 10, 2015 from 10:00 am until 2 pm. The address is 6201 Kingsessing Ave, Phila., PA. Come out and enjoy the day! 

Thousands have helped bring Pennsylvania's largest cemetery back from overgrown abandonment since the Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Inc. began coordinating restoration efforts in 2011. Come out and meet your co-workers! Meet that guy you saw with the chainsaw! What's his deal? Talk with the gal on the riding mower! Meet members of the Friends and the Mount Moriah Preservation Corporation.We all have something in common: the desire to honor and respect those who came before us.

Friends and Families Festival 2013

Friends and Families Day is our way of saying "THANK YOU!" to the thousands of volunteers and contributors who have helped us make great progress at Mount Moriah Cemetery (both Philadelphia and Yeadon sides) throughout the year. Join us as we celebrate the many accomplishments of 2015 on this 160th Anniversary of Mount Moriah (the cemetery was incorporated in 1855).

If you have not been to Mount Moriah for a few months (or more), you will be surprised at how much ground our volunteers have taken back from Mother Nature! entire sections that were overgrown this past spring are now cleared of trees and the grass is mowed! Fall is also a fine opportunity to see and photograph the hidden monuments and other memorials as the foliage begins to disappear. Enjoy the natural setting, see the wildlife and exotic flowers and trees, appreciate the history. Many areas are still overgrown, but soon, you will be able to see through the forest. Oh, and best of all - the deer ticks are gone!

Event Description 

"Friends and Families Day"  

Join us for a celebration of the 160th anniversary of Mount Moriah Cemetery!

Guests include:  
Music by Last Chance (the folk-roots fusion and bluegrass duo of Jack Scott and Ingrid Rosenback)

Kathryn Manz, from the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania

Arts and crafts for the kids
 
Refreshments

Come out and enjoy the day!

When

Saturday, October 10, 2015 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (EDT) 
 

Where

Mount Moriah Cemetery - 6201 Kingsessing Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19142  View Map 

Please RSVP here to let us know you plan to attend! 
The Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery (FOMMCI) Website
The Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery (FOMMCI) on Facebook 

The Rescue of Mount Moriah Cemetery

September 17, 2014 was a landmark day for Mount Moriah Cemetery (which resides partially in Philadelphia, and partially in Yeadon, Pennsylvania). In Philadelphia City Hall, Room 416, Honorable Judge John W. Herron heard the petition by the newly-formed Mount Moriah Cemetery Preservation Corporation to dissolve the Articles of the legacy (1855) Mount Moriah Cemetery Association and name the newly-formed (2012) corporation as the receiver. After hear an hour’s worth of testimony and reviewing the documentation, he gave his approval.

What does this mean? "Receivership," by legal definition, refers to a "court order whereby all the property subject to dispute in a legal action is placed under the dominion and control of an independent person known as a receiver.” In this action, Judge Herron dissolved the 159-year-old Mount Moriah Cemetery Association, whose last officer died in 2004. The Mount Moriah Cemetery Preservation Corporation now has legal custodial responsibility for the property, including its tangible and intangible assets and rights, since the original company could not meet its obligations.

Mount Moriah's historic brownstone gatehouse, Kingsessing Ave., Philadelphia

From the Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Inc. website:

“In December of 2012, Yeadon Borough and Philadelphia established the Mount Moriah Cemetery Preservation Corporation. This not-for-profit organization will likely become the Receiver of the property whereby it will be authorized to act on behalf of the Court for the Mount Moriah Cemetery Association in specified areas of business operations. Because of the complexity of the issues and in order to insure a similar situation does not occur in the future, ongoing municipal involvement is important. While the organization would be led by the municipal governments, the organization’s board is diverse in experience and ethnicity.”

Mausoleums on Yeadon side of Mount Moriah Cemetery

For this overgrown several-hundred-acre cemetery that was abandoned in 2011 (see link for history), the appointment of a receiver for the property means that now there will be a legal entity to “begin the process to operate the cemetery, conduct business and wind up the affairs of the old [Mount Moriah Cemetery] Association.” (ref.) It also means, and is hoped, that Mount Moriah can once again become an active cemetery, meeting the needs of several racial, religious and socioeconomic stakeholders. Mount Moriah is one of the few cemeteries in the Philadelphia area known to accept Muslim burials and is one of two in the vicinity known to accept “communal” burials – burials where three bodies share one grave and are a less expensive option for many families (ref).

College student volunteers on a cleanup day at Mount Moriah Cemetery

The appointment of the receiver does not affect the rights of anyone who has a contract to be buried in Mount Moriah – it actually makes it more likely that this can legally be accomplished in the near future. While the cemetery was closed, burials could not legally take place. The new non-profit organization is dedicated to securing the future of the Mount Moriah Cemetery. With its a seven-member board, it will assume responsibility and report to the court twice a year on its progress in restoring the grounds and improving business operations.

The receivership hearing barely lasted an hour. On hand were members of The Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Inc. (FOMMCI) Board of Directors (myself included), members of the Board of Directors of the new Mount Moriah Cemetery Preservation Corporation, and legal representation by Matthew N. McClure and other attorneys at Ballard Spahr L.L.P. (ref.) As part of the attorneys’ prepared argument as to why the receivership should be granted (with the goal that Mount Moriah would be saved from further deterioration), Mr. McClure stated that the cemetery has 5,000 veterans, including 23 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. In response, Judge Herron made the pointed comment that all those buried at Mount Moriah deserve sanctity and respect, whether they have medals or not.

Masonic Circle of Saint John, winter 2012, prior to clearing by FOMMCI

From about the time it was abandoned in March of 2011, until the September 17, 2014 hearing, the cemetery has been maintained primarily through volunteer efforts organized by the Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, with assistance from the City of Philadelphia. Since 2011, the Friends have organized events with thousands of volunteers who have participated in cleanups, restoration, grave location, genealogical research, and historic tours.This will likely continue into the new era. Major fund-raising efforts will now be underway to make more significant improvements, for instance in the areas of security and infrastructure.

Masonic Circle of Saint John, spring 2014, after clearing by FOMMCI

Brian Abernathy, president of the new organization, (and current executive director of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority) was one of the witnesses called to testify at the hearing, basically to ensure that the City of Philadelphia would play a managing role in the continued operation of Mount Moriah. Other witnesses (all of whom occupy Board positions with the Mount Moriah Cemetery Preservation Corporation) were Yeadon Borough mayor Rohan Hepkins, Nevin Mann (president of the Pennsylvania Cemetery Association and resident expert in the death care industry), and Paulette Rhone. Paulette, whose husband is buried at Mount Moriah, is president of the FOMMCI.

Yeadon Borough is now expected to take a greater role in preservation of that portion of Mount Moriah that resides within its borders. Mayor Hepkins stated that Mount Moriah Cemetery is a vital part of Yeadon and contributes to the quality of life in the community.

Several members of the FOMMCI were present at the hearing in addition to Paulette Rhone: Ed Snyder, vice president Bill Warwick, Treasurer Ken Smith, and Secretary Sue Facciolli. All were overjoyed at the outcome. It felt like a successful culmination of three years of hard work. Yet this is just the beginning of a new era in Mount Moriah's existence.

Mount Moriah's historic brownstone gatehouse

Mr. Abernathy has written that, "There are several opportunities to fund the new organization and improve the cemetery’s current conditions. Historic preservation grants, storm water management fees, funding as a portion of the East Coast Greenway, environmental protection grants and donations from stakeholders like the various churches, masons and veterans’ organizations are all potential funding sources."(ref.) "While it's only been abandoned for a few years," he points out, "it's been decades that it's been mistreated." 

“This is the largest cemetery that we know of that has been abandoned and left to die on the vine, for lack of a better term, that has been complicated by the history surrounding the site, by the political infrastructure surrounding the site and just by how truly bad conditions were at the site.” ... Abernathy says the cemetery was placed in his in-box when he worked in the Managing Director’s Office, but he took it with him to his new job in part because he was so impressed with the quality of civic leadership being brought to bear to rescue Mt. Moriah." (CBS news)

References and Further Reading:

The Long Process of Restoring The Historic Mt. Moriah Cemetery

Judge appoints receivership for neglected cemetery

Mount Moriah Cemetery set for rebirth

The Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Inc. website

Visit The Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Inc. on Facebook