Submitted by nesquiksand2 t3_106m4vt in pittsburgh
My girlfriend and I like to walk around cemeteries every now and then, and it's always interesting to find a unique grave. We know about titty sphinx, and there's a unique one in east Carnegie with a hammock and mailbox. Has anyone else found anything interesting? Can be historical or just an interesting headstone or whatever!
There’s a shark one in Allegheny Cemetery!
The Jaws headstone in Allegheny Cemetery.
There's a very old cemetery by the river next to the power plant in Springdale (google says it's called St. Mark's), but I don't think you can get to it anymore.
Eben Byers - buried in Allegheny Cemetery. Go read up on what killed him.
Also in Allegheny Cemetery - Calbraith Perry Rodgers
Oh, and zinc monuments.
The titty sphinx
McKeesport & Versailles Cemetery is an interesting one to check out. It is on the older side and has some great views.
You can find Billy Mays' grave in Mt. Calvary cemetery in McKees Rocks. There's nothing necessarily unusual about the grave itself, but it's Billy Mays. Oh and his picture is on it.
Plus it's a lovely cemetery to explore.
Homewood Cemetery is nice and interesting. Go up to Evans City cemetery to see where scenes from Night of the Living Dead were filmed
On Cemetery Lane in Ross there is grave shaped like a egg
There’s one shaped like an egg and one like a pyramid on cemetery lane
Chartiers Cemetary has one from the Civil War shaped like a tent.
Edit: not crafton
Herr’s Cemetery is a civil war-era cemetery with some really old gravestones. Nothing “unique” about the stones, just that they are exceptionally old. It’s in Hampton at the Hampton/McCandless border.
Resurrection Cemetery in Moon has Damian's grave.
>Resurrection Cemetery is in Moon Township and on the far edge of the cemetery stands a mysterious grave. The headstone reads: “Damian. This is not goodbye, just so long.” Visitors to the cemetery have been said to see red eyes looking out from the stone between the angles of the cross (which is carved upside down) in the stone. On the day before Halloween years ago four men visited the grave. They shouted horrible things and vandalized the grave. The fourth man felt guilty and condemned the actions and he was the only one that made it home that night—the other three died in a car accident.
Interesting headstone also.
Bowling one in the Sewickley cemetery. Kinda out of the way tho
Mork from Ork?
Isn't the pyramid one the founder of Jehovah's witnesses?
There's one on cemetery Hill that reads "Hey, have a nice day." On the back of it which I always enjoy.
The mother fuckin tiddie sphinx.
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The Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville has a ton of interesting graves. They have resources on their website and Wikipedia has an extensive list of notable internments. It’s 300 acres and is also used as a park.
My favorite is in Warren, PA. The tombstone is the rock that fell on, and killed, the deceased
If you're up for a bit of a day trip the Grandview Cemetery in Johnstown is very interesting. It's huge, and has tons of very old graves and cool monuments. My friend and I spent a whole day walking around trying to find the oldest grave. There's some interesting parts focused around the Johnstown Flood.
There’s that egg one you can see on Cemetery Road in Ross
If you like hiking, there’s an old colonial cemetery along the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.
Dang. I totally forgot he is from, and buried here!
Woah I need more info on this one
Came here to say this... anyone know the story behind the Jaws-stone?
Mt wood cemetery in wheeling. Worth the drive.
All sorts of interesting stuff in Allegheny cemetery
If Pittsburgh had it's own money it's what should be on it
There are some odd and really old graves in the very back near the woodline at St. Marks in Kennedy.
lol why Billy Mays vs like Andy Warhol or Mac Miller?
The oxy laundry guy!?
My sibling is buried in the same section and I always get bad vibes from the Damian grave.
Dravo Cemetery.
Finley Cemetery in Bethel Park. It is two graves in someone’s front yard on Broughton road across the street from the South Park BMX track.
This family farm cemetery comprises two graves of early Allegheny County pioneers, John Finley (b. June 2, 1759, d. March 25. 1846), and his wife, Margaret Roland Finley (b. November 16, 1758, d. February 12, 1841). John and Jane Finley brought 11 children into the world at this location.
John Finley served six months in the Revolutionary War in the Maryland Flying Camp company raised by Captain James Maxwell in Cecil County, Maryland and saw service during the Army's defensive retreat through the Jerseys following its defeat at New York. His grave bears memorial plaques placed by the U. S. Army and the Daughters of the American Revolution and cites his service as a drummer for the Maryland Troops.
In addition to extensive farm lands in Allegheny County, John Finley owned significant acreage in Washington County, Pa. including the site Finleyville, Pa. which was named in his honor.
No idea. Hmmm
Homewood Cemetery has Pie Taynor, baseball player whose number was retired by the Pirates. It's a short distance from Errol Garner's grave. Somewhere in there is John Heinz too, senator killed in a helicopter accident. There are a few unusual markers there, there's a strange carved stone sculpture near the front entrance.
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“The guy just really liked the movie.” -some old head from the cemetery listening to some jams.
I read that the guy simply loved Jaws.
I was talking about Dietz Cemetery, but Dravo looks pretty cool too
Calvary Cemetery in Greenfield has the Riddler's grave.
When walking through Homewood Cemetery, I amuse myself by spotting all the headstones with the name of a well-known company/road/borough/township/industrialist etc. Someone mentioned Heinz, but H. C. Frick and his family, the Mellons, Hillmans, Benedums are also there. The Browns—as in Brown’s Hill—are in that big pyramid at the top of a hill. So many fascinating stories!
Never heard this before
Jefferson has Honus Wagner’s grave
A bit farther north but Big John Studd, the wrestler, is buried in Saxonburg. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6709253/john-william-studd
There’s a grave marker in my backyard. Looked up the name and date but never found any information https://i.imgur.com/bng4YPu.jpg
I was surprised it took so long to get to this answer given what a sports town Pittsburgh is. You frequently find baseballs left at the grave.
Frank Gorshin played the Riddler in the Adam West Batman show. His grave is pretty cool looking.
OP said unique. Warhol and Mac Miller? Like going to New York City just to see Times Square.
Which cemetery?
My dad told me stories about this one that are haunting. I live right by it but don't dare go near it.
Please be respectful of every grave you visit. These are real people under those stones. Not just for your pleasure but they deserve respect. I like walking the graves too and praying for the departed. That being said, Andy Warhol’s grave would be a good one to visit. Art Rooney’s grave is in Peters Twp.
Of course
Check out findagrave.com!
I love the Jewish cemetery in McKees Rocks by StoRox.. very unique.
Also titty sphinx.. never heard of that one! Where is it?
There's a weird amount of egyptian themed mausoleums at homewood cemetery. No idea what that's about. Lots of mausoleums, generally - not something all cemeteries have. Some of the epithets are pretty wild, too.
I don’t have anything additional to add but I think you’d like r/cemeteryporn
Regrettably, no. Humpty Dumpty.
It’s important to be respectful of, and not damage, any property that isn’t yours, but one needn’t be reverent of buried organic matter. Those were real people, and now they’re on their way to becoming dirt again.
Allegheny Cemetery is one of the most beautiful (and my personal favorite) of all the parks in the city. It’s close to where I live and I love jogging and walking through it. I’m not going to go dancing on graves, but I’m also not going to avoid stepping on top of them, on rare occasion, because of someone else’s unfounded superstition.
unsure if joking, but no. it's as in "i am the eggman, they are the eggman, i am the walrus"
allegheny cemetery, bloomfield side
It’s the Brown family. I know because they’re relatives.
Interesting!
Allegheny Cemetery has some celebrities- Stephen Foster and others. It’s huge.
Titty Spinx
Not surprising Warren has the weirdest of anything
TIL Frank Gorshin was from Pittsburgh, and buried here! My kiddo and I are making our way through the Batman TV Series and Frank's Riddler is just chef's kiss!
There’s a man’s grave in the Catholic cemetery in Carrick that lists his name, birth and death years and a line “too much war” which is the saddest tombstone I’ve ever seen.
The egg belonged to the former owner of Isalys in West View
The egg tomb is my friend's, who previously owned Isaly's in West View and got the nickname Eggman. He is still with us, his wife sadly passed about 10 years ago. The pyramid has been gone since last spring and was indeed the marker for the nearby grave of Charles Taze Russell, founder of the Jehova's Witnesses.
And Harry Greb, the "Pittsburgh Windmill"
probably not though, as its an exact duplicate of another mausoleum in new york
There's a webcam and you can use it to take a selfie while you're there.
At Allegheny Cemetery you can find:
Abraham Lincoln and his wife Winona Lincoln
Mother Cashdollar
Baum (of Baum Boulevard) and Roup (of Roup Avenue)
Plus the Jaws tombstone and titty sphinx that have already been mentioned
I like the big pyramid crypt in the Homewood Cemetery.
There is a pyramid crypt in Homewood Cemetery.
EDIT: It was still there when I walked through a couple of weeks ago, anyway.
Right, different pyramid. The one I was responding about was much smaller than Homewood Cemetery pyramid and was removed due to being vandalized again.
Isn't Abraham Lincoln's grave famously in Springfield, Illinois?
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It’s not THAT Abraham Lincoln lol
Frank Gorshin, the Riddler from campy TV show was Pittsburgh native.
Gotcha! Thanks for clarifying. Sad to hear about the vandalism though.
Notorious playboy murderer Harry Kendall Thaw is buried in the Allegheny cemetery
Then who is this Abraham Lincoln?
My aunt had one in her front yard, though it was so weathered it was impossible to tell the name or date on it.
Thanks!
oh yeah oops thats what i meant
Look up the old state hospital cemeteries (Dixmont and Mayview/Morganza are local). Even if the hospital is knocked down and land has been sold say to Walmart or South Point the cemeteries remain, under pa law. They’re something and there old enough you can read the records in public search. Many list the cause of death as “general paresis of the insane”.
Edit- a word and also check in the Polk State School.
I just try to be respectful of the dead and of any relatives that might be visiting. There’s plenty of places for me to exercise so that I’m not stepping on someone’s grave. I try to be respectful of everyone’s views and even, as you would say, their “unfounded superstitions”. It isn’t hard to be a nice person and respectful of everyone’s beliefs.
That's the explanation I heard, too.
ScratchMoore t1_j3h7mnt wrote
Andy Warhol’s grave is in Castle Shannon/Bethel Park right off of 88 at Conner Rd.