Mikveh Israel Cemetery | |
Location | 831 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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Coordinates | 39°56′46″N 75°09′21″W / 39.9461°N 75.1557°W |
Built | 1740 |
NRHP reference No. | 71000061[1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | June 24, 1971 |
Designated PHMC | n/a[2] |
Mikveh Israel Cemetery is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, giving evidence of a settled community as early as 1740. A number of outstanding patriots, pioneers, and other notables of the Jewish faith who made important contributions to the history and freedom of America during the Colonial and Revolutionary period were interred here, and for this reason, in 1959, by an act of Congress, the burial ground was designated as a unit of the Independence National Historical Park, while continuing to be maintained by the sponsoring Congregation Mikveh Israel.[3] The cemetery was certified by the Philadelphia Historical Commission, and in 1971, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[4]
The site is 60 by 80 feet (18 m × 24 m),[4] less than 0.2 acres (810 m2) in size, and is located in the Washington Square West neighborhood, in the center city section of Philadelphia, about 1⁄4 mi west and 1⁄4 mi south of Independence Hall.