Old Saint Paul's Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Old Saint Paul's Cemetery is a cemetery
located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is noted for the several important historical figures that are interred in its grounds.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1988.
was located at intersection of Sollers Road and North Point Road in what is now Dundalk
. Organized in 1692 this churchyard is the oldest cemetery that is known to have existed in the Baltimore area.
About 1760 those remains were moved to Saint Paul's Burial Ground which surrounded the original church at Charles Street
and Jones Falls Bluffs which stood from 1739 to 1817. That building was replaced by another which burned in 1854 and was later replaced by the present building which fills that entire property, at the current intersection of Charles and Saratoga Streets.
In the late 18th century, the Vestry
of Old St. Paul's Church was faced with the need for a third cemetery. Cemeteries had never been viewed as good neighbors, aside from the fact that they contained the bodies and souls of the departed (who, it was believed, had the ability to wander the land), they could become unsightly and even unhealthy.
Therefore, a new cemetery site was purchased in 1800 on the western edge of town at the intersection of Lombard
and German Streets (now Redwood Street), in an area where several members of the Vestry owned a great deal of undeveloped property.
Church member Samuel Smythe purchased 2.8 acres (11,000 m²) of land from the heirs of Alexander Robinson, whose house is found on the 1802 Hanna and Warner map of Baltimore, directly across German Street from the Smythe purchase. The land was subsequently bought by the Church. Many of the parishioners immediately bought grave lots and began construction of vaults and plots.
When Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard was constructed, during the mid 1980s, one end of this cemetery was lost and the remains and markers were moved within the remaining walled cemetery that now sits surrounded by the University of Maryland, Baltimore
Medical campus.
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is noted for the several important historical figures that are interred in its grounds.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1988.
History
The first cemetery of Saint Paul's Church in BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
was located at intersection of Sollers Road and North Point Road in what is now Dundalk
Dundalk, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,306 people, 24,772 households, and 16,968 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,689.5 people per square mile . There were 26,385 housing units at an average density of 1,985.9 per square mile...
. Organized in 1692 this churchyard is the oldest cemetery that is known to have existed in the Baltimore area.
About 1760 those remains were moved to Saint Paul's Burial Ground which surrounded the original church at Charles Street
Maryland Route 139
Maryland Route 139, known locally for most of its existence as North Charles Street, runs through Baltimore City and through the Towson area of Baltimore County. On the north end it terminates at a traffic circle with Bellona Avenue near Interstate 695 and at the south end it terminates in Federal...
and Jones Falls Bluffs which stood from 1739 to 1817. That building was replaced by another which burned in 1854 and was later replaced by the present building which fills that entire property, at the current intersection of Charles and Saratoga Streets.
In the late 18th century, the Vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
of Old St. Paul's Church was faced with the need for a third cemetery. Cemeteries had never been viewed as good neighbors, aside from the fact that they contained the bodies and souls of the departed (who, it was believed, had the ability to wander the land), they could become unsightly and even unhealthy.
Therefore, a new cemetery site was purchased in 1800 on the western edge of town at the intersection of Lombard
Lombard Street (Baltimore)
Lombard Street is a major street in Baltimore. It forms a one-way pair of streets with Pratt Street that run west-east through downtown Baltimore. For most of their route, Pratt Street is one-way in an eastbound direction, and Lombard Street is one way westbound. Both streets begin in west...
and German Streets (now Redwood Street), in an area where several members of the Vestry owned a great deal of undeveloped property.
Church member Samuel Smythe purchased 2.8 acres (11,000 m²) of land from the heirs of Alexander Robinson, whose house is found on the 1802 Hanna and Warner map of Baltimore, directly across German Street from the Smythe purchase. The land was subsequently bought by the Church. Many of the parishioners immediately bought grave lots and began construction of vaults and plots.
When Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard was constructed, during the mid 1980s, one end of this cemetery was lost and the remains and markers were moved within the remaining walled cemetery that now sits surrounded by the University of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore, was founded in 1807. It comprises some of the oldest professional schools in the nation and world. It is the original campus of the University System of Maryland. Located on 60 acres in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, it is part of the University System of Maryland...
Medical campus.
Persons of note interred
- George ArmisteadGeorge ArmisteadGeorge Armistead was an American military officer who served as the commander of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.-Life and career:...
(April 10, 1780 - April 25, 1818) - Commander of Fort McHenryFort McHenryFort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay...
during the War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
; - Lewis A. Armistead (February 18, 1817 - July 5, 1863) - Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Confederate Brigadier General. Led one of George Pickett'sGeorge PickettGeorge Edward Pickett was a career United States Army officer who became a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
Brigades at Gettysburg, PennsylvaniaGettysburg, PennsylvaniaGettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
; - James CarrollJames Carroll (Politician)James Carroll was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from St. Mary's College in Baltimore in 1808. Carroll studied law, but did not practice. He settled on a farm on the West River, but later moved back to Baltimore. His reputation was improved when he became judge of the orphans' court and...
(December 2, 1791 - January 16, 1873 - US Congressman. Elected to represent Maryland's 4th District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1839 to 1841; - Samuel ChaseSamuel ChaseSamuel Chase was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and earlier was a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland. Early in life, Chase was a "firebrand" states-righter and revolutionary...
(April 17, 1741 - June 19, 1811) - Signer of The Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of independenceA declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
from MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Former US Supreme Court Justice; - George HowardGeorge Howard (Governor of Maryland)George Howard was the 22nd Governor of the State of Maryland in the United States from 1831 to 1833. Howard was well known as a fervent anti-Jacksonian during his term in office. He was the only son of a governor to have been elected governor.-Biography:He was born on November 21, 1789, in the...
(November 21, 1789 - August 2, 1846 Maryland Governor from 1831 to 1833; - John Eager Howard (June 4, 1752 - October 12, 1827) - Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
Continental Army Officer, Continental CongressContinental CongressThe Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
man, former US SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
; - Francis Scott KeyFrancis Scott KeyFrancis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
(August 1, 1779 - January 11, 1843) - CenotaphCenotaphA cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
- original burial site of the author of the national anthem of the United States; - Alexander ReinagleAlexander ReinagleAlexander Robert Reinagle was an English-born American composer, organist, and theater musician...
(1756–1809) - composer, known as the "Master of Music".
External links
- St. Paul's Cemetery, Baltimore City, including undated photo, at Maryland Historical Trust