Montoursville Memorial Gardens

Montoursville Memorial Gardens. A Place of Peace, Hope and Remembrance. , This site chosen as a memorial is rich in history. John Rockafellow donated the land as a cemetery, with the first burial occurring as early as 1811. In 1816, an octagonal stone school stood on the back, central portion of the plot. The building not only served as a school, but also as a church building and a hospital during a smallpox outbreak. In 1838, the German Lutherans and Presbyterians joined forces to build the Union Church, located east of the cemetery plot. The church and adjoining cemetery grounds became the center of community life and the final resting place for many of the town's Civil War casualties., Eventually, the octagonal building fell into disrepair. A new Lutheran church was built elsewhere, and with the widening of Broad Street, the graves were moved to Edgewood Cemetery. During the 1950 Montoursville Centennial, a millstone was placed on the property. Otstonwakin, carved on the millstone, was the Indian name for our town. The millstone has served as a bridge to our roots., Following the Flight 800 tragedy, there was a movement to erect a permanent memorial to our community members. The Montoursville Area School District and Montoursville Borough entered into an agreement for joint ownership of this site., Montoursville Memorial Gardens was dedicated on July 17, 1999 in memory of all the deceased members of our community..