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Greenwood Cemetery Company of New Castle, Pennsylvania. Incorporated May 1, 1861.
Greenwood Cemetery Company of New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania is located on Greenwood Avenue off West Washington Street.
In the early part of 1852, Ezekiel Sankey went to Harrisburg and procured a charter incorporating the Cemetery Association. James D. Clarke, William McClymonds, Jacob S. Quest, Joseph Kissick, and Ezekiel Sankey were the incorporators. The act was passed on May 3, 1852.
Greenwood Cemetery of New Castle has been recorded as being the oldest cemetery in Lawrence County with burials starting in 1802.
Greenwood Cemetery of New Castle has been recorded as being the oldest cemetery in Lawrence County with burials starting in 1802. It has been credited as one of Lawrence County’s greatest historical treasures and is the final resting place for many of the county’s pioneering families along with many of it’s prominent citizens.
DATABASAE
COMING SOON!
Search over 14,000 burial records in the Greenwood Cemetery!
We hope to have access to the burial records database in the near future. If a person is included in those records, your search will produce an Interment Profile. The following information is provided (if available): name, dates of death and burial, grave location, burial lot and division numbers, and name of mortician. Also shown is the grave location on the Cemetery Map.
The records date back as far as the early 1800’s.
Search by: All First Name, Last Name, Age, Date of Death (format: mm/dd/yyyy), Cause of Death, Interment Number, or Lot Number.
Database Created by Ron & Betty Hughes. READ MORE here.
Map of Greenwood Cemetery
Click on map to enlarge
“I went to the Greenwood Cemetery recently to put flowers on the graves of my relatives. I was moved to tears and appalled at the condition of the cemetery. The grass and weeds are taller than the tombstones. It is very sad.”
– Source: New Castle News
Greenwood Cemetery Company of New Castle, Pennsylvania is an irreplaceable Treasure of our cultural heritage, but many of the historic and artistic grave markers are endangered as a result of apathy, neglect and vandalism. In the past, the Cemetery has been used as a favorite spot for midnight parties, illegal activities and destructive behavior.
As recently as 2012 a mausoleum was broken into and the remains of a fourteen-year-old girl, who died in 1871, were dumped onto the floor of the mausoleum. This act of vandalism required cleanup, repair and re-dedication of this grave site.
Throughout it’s 150 plus year history Greenwood Cemetery has suffered from economic ups and downs. As with most cemeteries, grave markers are private property and owners are accountable for their repair and maintenance. Many families have faithfully overseen the upkeep of their loved one’s graves for many years; however, as families have moved away and descendants have passed on, a number of graves have been neglected. An example of lack of descendants applied to the young girl of 1871 as described above. As a result of not being able to locate family it was necessary that the cemetery volunteers clean-up, repair and rededicate the mausoleum.
A great deal of volunteer work has been preformed on damaged headstones but every year additional grave markers are affected by problems associated with age, ground settling, rodent burrowing and vandalism.
Help Save Greenwood Cemetery
Greenwood Cemetery Company of New Castle, Pennsylvania is an irreplaceable Treasure of our cultural heritage, but many of the historic and artistic grave markers are endangered as a result of apathy, neglect and vandalism.
The History of Greenwood Cemetery
I. First Death in New Castle, Pennsylvania
The following article was handwritten on September 17, 1875: The first death in New Castle, Pa. was that of a child of William McCombs, the year of 1802 or 1803. Her remains were buried in Greenwood Cemetery. The coffin was made of oak boards in the rough and fastened together with wooden pins. There were no nails in use at that time. The coffin, together with the child’s body, was placed in John Williams’ ox cart and conveyed to the Cemetery. The first coffin made in New Castle was made by a man whose name was Jessie Dushane.
The article hand written on Greenwood Cemetery stationery states the following: “Copy made by Brant E. Buchanan, Supt. [Superintendent] on August 1, 1991”. Editor’s note: The book entitled, History of Lawrence County, PA, (HLCPA) New Castle Library, R-O Hist.974.893 DUR, page 20, indicates that the child’s body was “…taken to the first burying ground in the place, now adjoining the new Greenwood cemetery.”
The other disparity is that HLCPA states the ox cart belonged to John Wilson and the coffin was made by Jesse Du Shane. Either way, the stories are very similar.
Please note, that when the child died in 1802 or 03 the location of burial was in Mercer County. Lawrence County did not exist until March 20, 1849.
II. Greenwood Cemetery
Ezekiel Sankey was the original owner of the land that is now Greenwood Cemetery. The property owned by Ezekiel Sankey was adjoined by property of Samuel McCleary. There had been a dispute regarding the property lines but they were eventually resolved between these two gentlemen. The property in question amounted to approximately 10 acres which became the nucleus of Greenwood Cemetery.
In the early part of 1852, Ezekiel Sankey went to Harrisburg and procured a charter incorporating the Cemetery Association. The following gentlemen were the incorporators: James D. Clarke, William McClymonds, Jacob S. Quest, Joseph Kissick, and Ezekiel Sankey. The act was passed on May 3, 1852. The act authorized the purchase of land not exceeding 25 acres. With this charter Ezekiel Sankey sold the 10 acres received in the McCleary agreement and transferred the charter to James D. Clarke, William Dickson and William McClymonds. These parties immediately purchased additional land and made improvements. Mr. McClymonds superintended the work of laying out the grounds, planting the trees and shrubbery. With the 10 acres originally purchased from Ezekiel Sankey and an additional strip from the Crawford brothers plus a small triangular strip along the ravine obtained from Richard Fulkerson, the land approximated 18 acres.
James D. Clarke, one of the original incorporators, died December 2, 1854 and his brother Cyrus Clarke became administrator of the estate. After James D. Clarke’s death, William McClymonds continued the business until March of 1861. William McClymonds and William Dickson were partners in the banking business. Sometime prior to March 1861 Samuel D. Clarke, David Sankey, Joseph Douthett and Cyrus Clarke associated themselves together and purchased the interest from the heirs of James D. Clarke. William McClymonds and William Dickson eventually sold their interest to David Sankey. The new Association now possessed the entire property. Fearing that the new Association could not properly or legally organize to do business under the old charter David Sankey went to Harrisburg to create a new incorporation or reenact the old one. The new charter was dated May 1, 1861. Under the new organization, David Sankey was appointed president, Joseph Douthett secretary and Cyrus Clarke Treasurer. Mr. Sankey continued to fill the office of president until September of 1875. It was at this time that Mr. David Sankey sold his interest to Mr. Cyrus Clarke and the entire property was transferred to C. B. Lower and W. T. Dougherty. Mr. Lower became president and Mr. Dougherty, secretary and treasurer. Mr. R. W. Sankey, son of David Sankey was superintendent for the greater part of the time up to the transfer of the stock in 1875.
Greenwood Cemetery, in 2012, is approximately 46 acres.
III. Fire
There have been numerous stories of a fire that destroyed the early records of Greenwood Cemetery. The fire occurred in August of 1875 which destroyed all known records such as burial records, death certificates, maps and other information related to interments.
For further investigation of early headstones and monuments please refer to a book entitled “GREENWOOD CEMETERY INSCRIPTIONS”. compiled by Jane SANTINI, Margaret SICA & Beverly ZONA. This book may be viewed at the New Castle Public Library or the Lawrence County Historical Society.
Interred at Greenwood Cemetery, New Castle, Pennsylvania.
Oscar Lawrence Jackson
United States Congressman (1885-89)
Elected as a Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania, serving two terms (March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889). Served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Captain of Company H, Sixty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Promoted to major, lieutenant colonel then colonel.
Biographical Source: History of Lawrence County by S.W. and P.A. Durant, 1877.
IV. Renovation of 1905
The title of the article is LOVELY GREENWOOD BEING BEAUTIFIED. This article appeared in the New Castle News Tuesday, May 23, 1905. The article continues, “the last home of the cities honored dead is being vastly improved in appearance. Greenwood Cemetery, the last silent resting place of many of the honored dead of the city is being so greatly improved in appearances that those who visit it on Memorial Day for the first time since last summer will scarcely recognize it. So much has been accomplished and the lot owners owe much to their representatives who have labored without compensation toward that laudable end, other than the desire to restore Greenwood to its pristine beauty”.
After three years of neglect, scores of trees which were not of healthy growth and which were becoming unsightly had been removed. The driveways had been graded, rolled and brick gutters laid to carry away the surface water. The entrance way and handsome uncut stone columns erected and provided a dignified entrance to the cemetery. The Lodge was improved by adding a veranda and the tangle of underbrush toward the rear of the Lodge had been removed. In addition, that summer a new substantial bridge was constructed across the ravine dividing the western part of Greenwood into two parts and the driveways leading to that area were extended.
It was noted that the cemetery is the last earthly home of more than 400 soldiers, many early pioneers and prominent residents of the city. It was further stressed that it would be a disgrace for the community to permit Greenwood Cemetery to be forgotten.
Several times in the article it is stressed that in order to keep Greenwood Cemetery in a pristine condition, the cemetery would need cooperation, labor and financial assistance from the community.
Searchable Database Researched and Created by
Ron & Betty Hughes of Western Pennsylvania
Ron Hughes is a US Army Veteran and life-long resident of Western Pennsylvania. Having spent much of his childhood in and around New Castle, Ron was familiar with the Greenwood Cemetery. Having family buried there, he was a frequent visitor and over time he began to recognize the extreme need for upkeep and maintenance. The cemetery was being neglected and vandalism was becoming more and more frequent.
To draw attention to this need, Ron and his wife Betty began to research and look for records of the people that have been buried in Greenwood Cemetery. They spent years compiling information, names and death records, entering the information into a database in hopes that others might one day be able to search and locate loved ones in the Greenwood Cemetery, even those with gravestones that are hardly legible. They have compiled over 14,000 records dating back to the early 1800’s.
All of the work, time and effort put into the searchable database was generously donated by Ron & Betty Hughes. They ask for nothing in return except that you consider donating your time and talents to help the Greenwood Cemetery of New Castle, Pennsylvania.
