Back in March, I was researching some gravestones at the cemetery, and suddenly I was not alone. Some people were walking up the path. In all of my many visits to the place, I’ve never seen anyone there. That’s when I met Jerry Heebner and Liz Jarvis. Jerry is a historian; assigned by the Schwenkfelder Church to clean up the cemetery. Liz is Curator/Archivist for the Chestnut Hill Historical Society. By coincidence they were meeting at the cemetery the same time I was there! Jerry and Liz were meeting to discuss some upcoming tours of the cemetery sponsored by the CHHS. After much discussion about the history of the cemetery, we began to talk about the condition of the place. We noted some of the issues that needed to be addressed and decided that we all should meet to explore a course of action.
We have met several times since then. We have consulted with a cemetery conservationist, masonry expert, arborist, and other professionals. The Schwenkfelder Church has sent out crews to clear out the area for better access. Tours of the cemetery and lectures are being scheduled for the fall. We are developing a preservation plan to serve as a framework for decision-making and fundraising. Anyone interested in helping out is welcome to contact Jack Yeakel via email at theyeakels@verizon.net
Yeakel Cemetery 