The recently restored 18th-century Yeakel Cemetery in Wyndmoor now has a sign that explains its historical significance. 

The Yeakel Cemetery is a hidden gem that dates to 1752. It is the final resting place for many Schwenkfelders, a Protestant religious sect from Silesia. They were denied the right to a proper burial in their homeland, so this modest graveyard is a symbol of the religious freedom they found in Pennsylvania.

The Yeakel Cemetery Preservation Committee was formed in 2012 to rescue the cemetery from deterioration. Members included Jack Yeakel, a ninth-generation descendant of people buried in the cemetery, and Jerry Heebner, a representative of the Schwenkfelder Church that administers the cemetery. The committee raised $102,000 from many donors and organized phased repairs and restoration over the next ten years, starting with grading the site and removing trees. Next, the group hired Conservation Materials, Inc. to conserve 86 gravestones. Finally, the perimeter wall was rebuilt and repaired. 

Now, the goal is to inform the public about the Yeakel Cemetery and its context in the 18th-century history of this area. The new sign tells visitors the story of the cemetery. The website gives more details about its history and how it was restored. 

The Yeakel Cemetery is on a wooded hillside about 200 yards behind the Chestnut Hill Lodge Rehabilitation Center at 8833 Stenton Avenue. The graveyard’s dominant feature is a polished granite monument placed by the Schwenkfelder Church in 1931 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Schwenkfelder migrations. 

Major donors were Bowman Properties, David Lockard, and the Schwenkfelder Church. See yeakelcemetery.com for more details about the Yeakel Cemetery. 

Liz Jarvis

Curator and Archivist, Chestnut Hill Conservancy 

Chair, Yeakel Cemetery Preservation Committee