Linda Evans at the gravesite of Philip Lansdale Fox
As Lansdale gets ready to celebrate its Sesquicentennial, the grave of the man for whom the town is named has finally been uncovered, the
Lansdale Historical Society reports.
Philip Lansdale Fox, the railroad surveyor who lent his family middle name to the borough, died in 1895 from complications of wounds suffered decades before in the Civil War. He was buried in Philadelphia’s Mount Vernon Cemetery, located at Ridge and Lehigh Aves.
Mount Vernon Cemetery has been in existence since 1856 and is also the resting place of several members of the Barrymore acting dynasty. But over the years, the cemetery came into one man’s ownership, and it became difficult to get permission to enter the fenced-in, locked and severely overgrown cemetery.
Through calls to the owner, LHS board member Linda Evans was able to confirm the location of the grave, that Fox was buried alone, and that he was issued a military headstone for his service in the Civil War.
But it wasn’t until now, after years of trying, that anyone was able to enter the cemetery and visit his grave.
In late 2021, a Philadelphia conservatorship was formed to care for the cemetery. Then, just recently, an open house was held, allowing access to volunteers and parties interested in clearing and caring for the cemetery.
"Several of the people in charge knew of our search,” Evans said. When they arrived, she said, "Many sections were still in dire need of attention. Fortunately, the section where Fox’s grave is located had been cleared enough that my hopes were high.”
After a few minutes of crawling in the underbrush, someone shouted they’d found him. As two men cleared the area around the stone, it was evident that the final resting place of Philip Lansdale Fox had been found, Evans said.
For more information on The Mount Vernon Cemetery Conservation Company, visit
www.mountvernoncemetery.org.
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