Lost History at Old Blockley & Mt. Moriah Cemetery

In 1732, the Philadelphia Almshouse opened as the first government sponsored institution for the poor in America.  Originally located west of 3^rd and south of Spruce streets, the Almshouse served as a hospital for the sick and the “insane” and provided food and shelter for the poor.  In the 1830’s, the Almshouse relocated to what was then called Blockley Township, just west of the Schuylkill River, near 34^th Street and University Avenue in present day Philadelphia.  

Photo courtesy of http://www.philadelphia-reflections.com/

Growing into a complex of buildings that served the poor as hospital, orphanage,  poorhouse and an asylum for the mentally ill, the facility became known as the “Old Blockley.”  Not surprisingly, conditions at this facility were abysmal.  Management by an organization known as the Guardians of the Poor did little to support the needs of those at Old Blockley.  Newspaper accounts from the time describe the occupants as “old, sick and decrepid.”  As a consequence of the poor upkeep and lack of concern for patients and “inmates”, tragedy struck Old Blockley on July 19, 1864 when a portion of the “Female Lunatic Asylum” collapsed early in the morning, as patients were being gathered for breakfast.  At least 18 people were killed and at least 20 others were seriously injured.  Among the dead was a six year old boy named Andrew Noble.

Andrew Noble was the youngest of 8 children born to Sarah and Thomas Noble.  Thomas supported the family working as a bookbinder, with additional support provided by Andrew’s older siblings.  Limited information is available on the Noble family, however it is known that young Andrew lived with his family at least until 1860.  However, it was apparently the case that Andrew was both 

Photo courtesy of http://dla.library.upenn.edu/

physically and mentally disabled, and eventually came to reside at the Old Blockley.  On the morning of the tragic collapse at Old Blockley, Andrew had just been fed by a nurse (a Mrs. Ackley) who laid him on his couch.  Moments later, the building collapsed and Andrew was killed as he was carried down with the building into the rubble.  The scene at the collapse was described in newspapers of the time in graphic detail.  Crews were immediately dispatched to sift through the rubble to retrieve survivors and the dead, who were transported to “the dead-house” until they could be identified.  The women housed in the collapsed building were described as “…old or middle aged, and are a strange, and for the most part, extremely repulsive looking set.”  The description of the recovery and identification of Andrew’s body was also recorded: “the body of the boy Noble was brought in and although when alive he was a very repulsive specimen of humanity, being entirely idiotic and terribly crippled, still the sight of his remains so affected his old nurse that she leaned over his body, wiped the blood from his face and wept bitterly.”

Two days after his death, little Andrew Noble was buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery.  His mother had died the previous year, and was also buried there.  At the time, Mt. Moriah was relatively new, and 

Photo courtesy of http://www.preservationalliance.com/

was located in western Philadelphia, adjacent to Cobbs Creek.  Over time, the cemetery expanded significantly in size and grew to span across Cobbs Creek into Yeadon, in Delaware County.  Mt. Moriah is the burial site of many prominent people, and includes two military burial sections which contain the remains of veterans from as far back as the Civil Way, and include many Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. Over time, management and oversight of the cemetery declined to nonexistent levels and the site was eventually abandoned.  Most of the cemetery became overgrown with vegetation, and often served as a dumping ground for trash.  Legal and financial complications have inhibited efforts to re-establish Mt. Moriah as an independently functioning cemetery.

In the aftermath of the collapse at Old Blockley, it was determined that the tragedy was likely due to construction work at the site to install heaters.  No doubt this was compounded by the physical state of decay at the facility.  No one was ever held accountable.  In the years that followed, conditions at Old Blockley continued to decline.  In 1919, the facility was renamed Philadelphia General Hospital, and was eventually closed in 1977 with its sad reputation essentially unchanged in nearly 250 years of existence.

Today, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia occupies the site of Old Blockley.  Here, children and their families can receive state of the art medical treatment and all necessary supports in a caring environment.  Although much of Mt. Moriah Cemetery remains overgrown and in disrepair, an organization known as Friends of Mt. Moriah is working with other volunteer groups to reclaim the grounds and restore dignity to this once magnificent place of beauty and peace.  And what of Andrew Noble, who died as a victim of terrible disregard for human dignity and wellbeing at Old Blockley, and was victimized again by a similar disregard for dignity after his death at Mt. Moriah?  In 2015, Lost History Detectives visited Mt. Moriah Cemetery in search of Andrew Noble’s burial site.  With help from Friends of Mt. Moriah, the approximate location of his grave was located in section 116 in the Yeadon side of the cemetery.  More than one hundred and fifty years after his death, this young boy who lived and died in a world unable or unwilling to grant him the dignity and compassion he deserved, was remembered.

Lost History Detectives, October 22, 2015

Note: This post was supported by information from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Wikipedia, and other internet sources.