Philadelphia National Cemetery

Philadelphia National Cemetery is a United States national cemetery located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, north of Germantown. It is administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and managed by the National Cemetery Administration from offices at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.The cemetery contains an American Revolutionary War Monument honoring reinterred Continental soldiers from the Battle of Germantown, a Mexican-American War Monument honoring 38 reinterred veterans, and a Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument (1911) honoring 184 prisoners of war who died in Philadelphia area hospitals or camps during the American Civil War.HistoryIt was established in 1862 for deceased from nearby Civil War hospitals, and as 1 of the original 14 National Cemeteries. The cemetery was increased to 13acre in 1885 to reinter soldiers from numerous small plots throughout the region. A federal superintendent had been appointed by 1869 for the "number of burials in seven incorporated cemeteries near the city of Philadelphia." As of September 30, 2008, Philadelphia National Cemetery had 13,202 interments. This number is not expected to change significantly as the cemetery is closed for new interments, except for those in reserved plots and in plots opened by disinterments.