Welcome To Washington Memorial Chapel Cemetery Tour
The Churchyard (Cemetery)
25 Acres
Designed in 1911 by landscape architect Thomas Sears
Open to all
We are bordered by the Valley Forge National Historic Park
Some of our residents
General Varnum section
Alexandra Scott: The founder, at age 4, of Alex’s lemonade stand devoted to raising money for childhood cancer. Died at the age of 8. The Alex Lemonade Stand foundation remains active raising money for childhood cancer research. It raised $22 million last year.
Location: Looking up from the Rosborough gravesite across the upper churchyard road toward Route 23, next to the tree line, are two ogive shaped grave markers together. One of them is Alex Scott’s.
Philander Knox: Born near Pittsburgh and was a prominent Pittsburgh attorney before going to Washington U.S. Attorney General under McKinley, then under Theodore Roosevelt. Resigned in 1904 to become Senator from Pennsylvania. Re-elected in 1905 U S Senator. Appointed 1909 by President Taft as U.S. Secretary of State. Dollar diplomacy. Resigned in 1913. Became U.S. Senator again in 1916.
Born 1853 Brownsville, PA (near Pittsburgh)
Graduated from Mount Union College with William McKinley
Admitted to the bar in 1875 – Asst US Attorney for Western PA
With Henry Clay Frick and Andrew Mellon, Director of Pittsburgh National Bank
Counsel for Carnegie Steel and helped organize US Steel Corp in 1901
Member of South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, failure of the dam caused Johnstown Flood of 1889 Little Conemaugh River
1901 - Appointed US AG by William McKinley and re-appointed by Thoedore Roosevelt
June 1904 - persuades Theodore Roosevelt to give speech at the Chapel
1904 - appointed PA Senator by Governor Pennypacker – re-elected in 1905
1909 - appointed Secretary of State by Taft and pushes Dollar Diplomacy – an effort aimed in Asia at China to increase American influence through commercial loans and in Latin America/Caribbean to limit instability through investment.
More successful was his reform and reorganization of the Department of State:
- Divisional responsibility, merit up to Chief of mission,
- Resolved disputes over Bering Strait and North Atlantic fisheries
Replaced by Wilson Administration in March 1913
1916 elected to the Senate – Highly critical of Treaty of Versailles saying the treaty did not “spell peace but war – a war more woeful and devastating than the one we have but now closed”
Died 1921
Location: Proceeding west along the upper churchyard road you come to a set of stone steps. About 60 feet above them and to the right is the large rectangular Knox marker.
Lucille Polk Carter Reeves: Survivor of the Titanic.
Location: About 25 feet west of the Knox marker next to two large, flat markers with crosses is the small granite marker of Lucille Reeves.