LeMoyne Crematory | |
 | |
   | |
| Location | Jct. of Redstone Rd. and Elm St., NW corner, North Franklin Township, Washington, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°9′38″N 80°14′16″W / 40.16056°N 80.23778°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | Dye, John |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000078[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 1996 |
| Designated PHMC | August 01, 1953[2] |
The LeMoyne Crematory was the first crematory in the United States.[3] Francis Julius LeMoyne had it built in 1876 on his own land, perched atop a location known locally as Gallow's Hill in North Franklin Township near Washington, Pennsylvania. The first cremation took place on December 6, 1876. LeMoyne believed that cremation was a more sanitary way to dispose of bodies, preventing the contamination of drinking water.[4] After 41 more cremations there (with LeMoyne being the third, in 1879), the crematory was closed in 1901. LeMoyne's remains are buried there.[2]
It is a brick 20 x 30 one-story building.[4]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b "LeMoyne Crematory – PHMC Historical Markers". Historical Marker Database. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ "LeMoyne Crematory". aCremation.com.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
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