Pottsville’s Presbyterian Cemetery is an historic burial ground which hosts an amazing legacy for our county’s social, cultural, and historic heritage. Located at 12th St and Howard Avenue, this cemetery is the final resting place for over 1,800 people. The hallowed ground is the final bivouac for many of Schuylkill County’s heroic volunteers who fought in defense of our nation, including a Medal-of-Honor recipient. There are also many interesting people buried there who have had an impact on Schuylkill County and beyond.
The quiet beauty of this historic graveyard offers a wonderful setting to walk your dog, a quiet spot for reflection, a time to visit the deceased, and a photographer’s dream.
However, visitors to the cemetery are often faced with the difficult task of overgrown grass and weeds, fallen branches, and downed trees along the rugged paths of this hillside burial ground.
Maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery has been a challenge. The sacred grounds have suffered deterioration from a combination of weather, erosion, and vandalism. A good number of tombstones and obelisks have shifted, fallen over, sunken into the soil, or simply crumbled.
Near the top of the cemetery lies a section containing the remains of 39 people from the disinternment of the Welsh Congregational Cemetery (adjacent to Schuylkill County Courthouse) in October 1965.
In an effort to preserve the memory of the Civil War soldiers, a brochure has been created to provide a walking-tour of the cemetery. It contains a map of the cemetery noting the location of many Civil War veterans and also provides biographies of these men. Among the featured stories is Jacob Frick of Pottsville. As a colonel in the Union Army, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic action at the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Also noteworthy is Emerguildo Marquis, who was born in Mexico in the late 1830s. Emerguildo spent most of his childhood in an orphanage in Mexico City. Following the Mexican-American War, Captain James Nagle of Pottsville adopted him and they returned to our county. He later served in the Union Army.
You can tell a lot about a community by how they treat their dead, how well they upkeep their cemeteries, and respect the ground on which loved ones stood and mourned the deceased. The care and preservation of the Presbyterian Cemetery is an ongoing challenge to ensure its continuous upkeep and protection. We are always seeking help from caring people who realize the wonderful history that is contained in the stories that the stones can tell.
If you would like to donate to the upkeep of this historical spot, please use link at top of the page.
Pottsville’s Presbyterian Cemetery is an historic burial ground which hosts an amazing legacy for our county’s social, cultural, and historic heritage. Located at 12th St and Howard Avenue, this cemetery is the final resting place for over 1,800 people. The hallowed ground is the final bivouac for many of Schuylkill County’s heroic volunteers who fought in defense of our nation, including a Medal-of-Honor recipient. There are also many interesting people buried there who have had an impact on Schuylkill County and beyond.
The quiet beauty of this historic graveyard offers a wonderful setting to walk your dog, a quiet spot for reflection, a time to visit the deceased, and a photographer’s dream.
However, visitors to the cemetery are often faced with the difficult task of overgrown grass and weeds, fallen branches, and downed trees along the rugged paths of this hillside burial ground.
Maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery has been a challenge. The sacred grounds have suffered deterioration from a combination of weather, erosion, and vandalism. A good number of tombstones and obelisks have shifted, fallen over, sunken into the soil, or simply crumbled.
Near the top of the cemetery lies a section containing the remains of 39 people from the disinternment of the Welsh Congregational Cemetery (adjacent to Schuylkill County Courthouse) in October 1965.
In an effort to preserve the memory of the Civil War soldiers, a brochure has been created to provide a walking-tour of the cemetery. It contains a map of the cemetery noting the location of many Civil War veterans and also provides biographies of these men. Among the featured stories is Jacob Frick of Pottsville. As a colonel in the Union Army, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic action at the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Also noteworthy is Emerguildo Marquis, who was born in Mexico in the late 1830s. Emerguildo spent most of his childhood in an orphanage in Mexico City. Following the Mexican-American War, Captain James Nagle of Pottsville adopted him and they returned to our county. He later served in the Union Army.
You can tell a lot about a community by how they treat their dead, how well they upkeep their cemeteries, and respect the ground on which loved ones stood and mourned the deceased. The care and preservation of the Presbyterian Cemetery is an ongoing challenge to ensure its continuous upkeep and protection. We are always seeking help from caring people who realize the wonderful history that is contained in the stories that the stones can tell.
If you would like to donate to the upkeep of this historical spot, please use link at top of the page.