In June 2019, the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia awarded the Yeakel Cemetery a Grand Jury Award for Preservation and Conservation.
With this award, the Preservation Alliance recognized the Yeakel Cemetery Preservation Committee for its ten years of preservation and conservation of the site. The Yeakel Cemetery is a time capsule of the 18th century preserved in the middle of woodland setting, surrounded but unseen by suburban houses and busy roads. The Preservation Alliance recognized the work of the Committee, which has restored this little known historic resource and rescued it from obscurity.
The Committee exemplifies a collaborative approach between diverse partners, including local historical institutions, a church, a land trust, an amateur historian, preservationists, neighbors, as well as volunteers and donors. These partnerships have led to increased awareness and preservation of a formerly hidden cultural resource.
The Yeakel Cemetery Preservation Committee has partnered with the two closest historical societies, the Springfield Township Historical Society and the Chestnut Hill Conservancy, as well as Natural Lands, all of which have been instrumental in supporting the Committee’s efforts with expertise, fundraising support, volunteers, and more.
Yeakel Cemetery 