Friends of Mt. Hope

ABOUT THE FRIENDS OF MOUNT HOPE CEMETERY

The Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery is a non-profit organization of volunteers founded in 1980 to restore, preserve, and encourage public use and enjoyment of this unique historical treasure. We have a wealth of resources available to help you learn about our community as reflected in the lives of those who chose Mount Hope Cemetery as their final resting place. Susan B. Anthony and her family, Frederick Douglass and family, Isaac and Amy Post, John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb (of Bausch and Lomb eyewear fame), Emily Sibley Watson, Margaret Woodbury Strong, and Reverend Thomas James are all here (to name a few), and they have much to tell us about the growing pains our nation continues to experience: issues of human rights, commerce, the power of government and the responsibility of the governed.

The Friends have been instrumental in completing a number of improvements throughout the cemetery. Projects such as the restoration of the 1872 Moorish gazebo, upgrades to the 1874 High Victorian Gothic gatehouse, repair of the Florentine fountain, and the restoration of the Charles Rau mausoleum have been completed. Each year new historically important projects are organized.

The Landscape Committee maintains common gardens throughout the cemetery.

The tour program is one of the most well known activities of the Friends. Each year from May through October, knowledgeable guides conduct regular public tours of the cemetery's north section on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Tour admission is $5/person. Many theme tours are also offered throughout the tour season at an admission price of $10/person. Special tours are available for schools and other organizations.

We welcome new members. Membership entitles you to receive our newsletter, Epitaph, with outstanding articles on cemetery history and news of the Friends. Members also receive free tour admission. It is through annual membership fees, donations and the generous contributions of volunteers that we are able to support the many projects of the Friends.

A free pocket guide including a map of Mount Hope Cemetery is available at the cemetery office (1133 Mount Hope Avenue) and gatehouse (791 Mount Hope Avenue). The gatehouse, headquarters of the Friends, is open to the public when tours are scheduled.