“Designing for the Dead”

Art & Architecture in Philadelphia Cemeteries

Join Thomas H. Keels, Author, Historian, Lecturer for a talk followed by a small reception. The birth of the rural cemetery in Philadelphia provided local architects and artists with a novel outdoor laboratory where they could exhibit their works, and experiment with new styles. Such noted architects and artists as John Notman, William Strickland, Alexander Milne Calder, Frank Furness, Horace Trumbauer, and Paul Philippe Cret all created designs for cemetery gatehouses and individual monuments. In some cases, they became “cradle-to-grave” designers for the city’s elite. The talk will discuss Quaker contributions to Philadelphia funerary heritage, including the role of Eli Kirk Price in establishing the Woodlands, one of the city’s earliest rural cemeteries.

Sunday, November 23, 2025, 4pm
$20 per person ($15 members)

Note location: Grace Rotzel Center at The School in Rose Valley.

Reservations:
Call 484-444-2961 (leave a message)
Email: programs@rosevalleymuseum.org
Payment can be made online or at the door. Click here to register online.
Parking at the School in Rose Valley at the end of School Lane.