The Art and Architecture of Death
This monument was probably put up when Sarah Ann Maits died in 1904. John Maits, born in 1830, has no death date filled in; if he is not still alive, he may have married again (at an advanced age, since he was 73 when Sarah Ann died) and been buried elsewhere.
The Soffels always decorate their mausoleum in Mount Lebanon Cemetery with a wreath for Christmas.
A newly identified work by the Master of the Robinson Run Reliefs, all of whose trademarks are visible here: the thistle decoration flanked by flowers, the fan patterns in the corners, and even the curled tail on the top of the lower-case g in age. Henry Huls was a private in the Revolutionary War; he is identified here as having served in the Washington County Militia, but that could only have been in the last few months of the war, since Washington County itself was formed in 1781.
This plot includes the tombstone of the Rev. David Philips, minister and Revolutionary War captain; clearly it belongs to a family of some influence, and it is still kept separate from the rest of the cemetery by a metal railing of comparatively recent vintage (which is to say within the past century).
Captain Philips, who fought in the Revolution, lived to see the fiftieth anniversary of American independence. He is identified as Revd. Philips on his tombstone, and he is buried in the Philips family plot, which is still separated from the hoi polloi by a metal rail. From this one stone we identify a new Master in our collection of folk artists who produced tombstones here two centuries ago: the Master of the Curly Numerals, identifiable by the curled decorations on his numbers. Note also the fine curly script of “The Revd.”
This is the burying ground of a Baptist church that dates back to Colonial times: it claims a foundation date of 1773. Some Revolutionary War veterans are buried here.
A typical Doric mausoleum made exceptional by its picturesque setting on a hill.
A large Doric temple near the entrance to the cemetery. It is very much a gentleman’s mausoleum: it is most distinguished by its lack of distinguishing features, concentrating instead on getting every detail of the style perfectly correct.
A small Doric mausoleum distinguished by its arched doorway, rare in Doric mausoleums in Pittsburgh. (Old Pa Pitt has a backlog of cemetery pictures with fall colors, so don’t be surprised to see more of them this winter.)
A sumptuous stump with peeled bark for the inscription and a bonus fern. Joseph Abraham died in 1861; his wife Mary Ann died in 1879, and the stump probably dates from then or later.
