I have talked about visiting Laurel Hill Cemetery, Milford, Pike Co., Pa. before. I was invited to attend a program at the cemetery in the fall. Presenters stand at each gravesite and tell you about the person’s life. Laurel Hill Cemetery, was the first cemetery in Milford, the first burial took place in 1810 burials continued till about 1899 when the cemetery ran out of space and created Milford Cemetery located off Route 209. The cemetery along with Grey Towers the home of the Pinchot family was donated to the USDA Forest Service. Gifford Pinchot was a former two-time Governor of Pennsylvania. Gifford Pinchot went on to establish and serve as the first Chief of the US Forest Service.
The cemetery was neglected for many years and trees grew up and damaged most of the headstones. In 2001 after a bad storm which brought down many of those trees it became a hazard to the living. Rehab of the cemetery started a few years ago. Hazardous trees were removed, invasive plants and shrubs and bushes cleaning of stones and a dry-laid stone wall along Old Owego Turnpike. The Forest Service and The Pike County Historic Preservation Trust have done an amazing job at rehabilitation and continued maintenance of the cemetery. Cemeteries like this one always tell the history of the area and the first families to establish roots in an area. It’s an easy walk from the parking lot to the cemetery, would suggest closed-toed shoes.
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