Trip to Laurel Hill Cemetery and Girard College with Lunch at the PUB

What a great day for the trip. Due to the narrow entrance to Laurel Hill, we had to use a smaller Sen-Han bus (14 people). But that didn't lessen the enjoyment for all those
who made the trip.

Laurel Hill is more than just a cemetery.

It is an outdoor sculptural garden, a horticultural gem and a truly unique historical resource. It also happens to be one of the few cemeteries in the United States to be honored with the designation of National Historic Landmark. So come by for a tour or program, to enjoy a picnic or simply to stroll through our 78 acres of art and history

Laurel Hill is a unique destination for connoisseurs of art, architecture and horticulture, and the final resting place of countless individuals who shaped the history of our city and nation. Nestled on a scenic bluff high above the Schuylkill River, the site also affords spectacular views that cannot be found elsewhere.

Girard College

Girard College was formed by an unprecedented act of philanthropy shown by French immigrant and merchant, Stephen Girard. At the time of his death in 1831, Stephen Girard was the richest man in America and his endowment for Girard College was, up to that point, the largest private charitable donation in American history.

In the middle of the 19th century, Philadelphia was at the forefront of creating innovative institutions designed to solve specific societal challenges: Eastern State Penitentiary was built to tackle criminal justice reform, the Pennsylvania Hospital was established to care for patients with mental illnesses, and the Franklin Institute was designed to expand upon scientific knowledge.

Inspired by the institutions around him, Stephen Girard sought to address the challenge of educating young Americans for the future. He directed the city of Philadelphia to use his money to build a boarding school for poor, orphaned or fatherless white boys so that they might be prepared for the trades and professions of their era. Girard College opened on January 1, 1848.

The school’s unique mission guaranteed that it would become a lightning rod for controversy surrounding the important social issues of each era including religious freedom, and racial and gender diversity. Desegregation occurred at Girard when male students of color were enrolled beginning in 1968 and female students were enrolled beginning in the 1980s.

Stephen Girard, born more than 250 years ago, could not have imagined the ways that our country, its citizens and their roles would change over time. He couldn't imagine a female justice of the Supreme Court or an African-American U. S. president. The great triumph of Girard College today has been its adaptation to changes in American society while maintaining Stephen Girard's original mission to educate children to become productive citizens.

We have made several 65 Club group trips to Girard College, on one of the trips we did visit the chapel, but did not hear the organ.

Thanks to Bernie he has shared brief video regarding the organ, during your stay at home time, you might want to look at it. 

Click this line to see and hear the organ in the Girard Chapel:

The PUB