LeMoyne Crematory

The LeMoyne Crematory was the first crematory in the United States. 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. After 41 more cremations there , the crematory was closed in 1901. LeMoyne's remains are buried there.
Dr. Francis LeMoyne believed that cremation was a more sanitary way to dispose of bodies, preventing the contamination of drinking water. The structure was built in 1876, with the first cremation took place on December 6, 1876. Baron Joseph Henry Louis Charles De Palm, an impoverished Bavarian noble, was the first person to be cremated here.

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