The Homewood Cemetery, incorporated in 1878, historically a lawn-park cemetery, provides a beautiful, respectful resting place for the dead and serves the community as a living tribute to generations past.
Our mission is to provide comfort to the families we serve by offering a peaceful environment, an elegant landscape, and a commitment to perpetually honor all of those entrusted to our care.
Founded in 1878, The Homewood Cemetery is part of the American Cemetery movement of the 1800s. Graveyards, churchyards, and family burial grounds were the first types of burial sites created by European settlers in America. By the 1820s, American towns were turning into cities. People were leaving farm life for the opportunity to work at the first factories of the industrial revolution. It wasn’t long before demands for both living and burial space became acute.
By this time, the extensive estate of Judge William Wilkins had become available for purchase. With its rolling hillsides, beautiful copse of trees, and serene natural springs, it was the ideal location for a burial ground. The Cemetery Association purchased 178 acres of this land with the intent of implementing a Lawn Park style cemetery, a merger of landscape design and a system of rules and regulations. At the time of the cemetery’s founding, the East End was already home to some of Pittsburgh’s most wealthy and influential families – as well as the many people who worked for these families. The non-profit, non-denominational mission of the cemetery ensured both populations were served by the new burial ground.
Although much has changed in the East End communities since its inception in 1878, The Homewood Cemetery remains a non-profit, non-denominational entity that strives to serve families from all walks of life. We are still continually committed to the ideals of a Lawn Park style design, using restraint in landscaping to allow the beauty of the grounds to speak for itself.
The Homewood Cemetery Staff
Behind every arrangement, memorial, and family conversation is a team dedicated to serving Pittsburgh with care and expertise. Our experienced staff brings decades of combined expertise in memorialization, family services, and grounds care — here to guide you through every step, from pre-planning to final arrangements.
Executive / Operations
Administrative Specialists
Family Services Representatives
Art & Nature at the Homewood Cemetery
A peaceful landscape of history, art, and natural beauty
Throughout the cemetery, Homewood’s natural landscape elements serve as the perfect backdrop for the exquisite architecture, artwork, such as sculptures and stained glass, and remnants of history that can be found here. For instance, our English Tudor-Gothic stone chapel can be seen over the beautiful wrought-iron gates and fencing along a tree lined street in one of the city’s most historic areas.
The Homewood Cemetery, featuring some 600 mature trees, including weeping beeches and cedar specimens, sycamores and horse chestnuts, received its Arboretum status in 2014. The innate tranquility of the cemetery is further enhanced by its adjacency to the 480 natural acres of Frick Park, creating a continuous expanse of peacefulness in the midst of the urban development.
A Living Arboretum
In 2014, The Homewood Cemetery officially became one of only 23 American cemeteries and memorial parks listed as an accredited arboretum through The Arbnet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum. As an arboretum, The Homewood Cemetery serves not only as an educational center for the city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region, but also as a tranquil retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
An arborist has documented more than 40 species of trees throughout the cemetery. Trees of note include an extensive collection of mature oaks, horse chestnuts, a variety of beech trees, and a long list of significant shrubberies.
In the cemetery office, we have available a tree map, designed by mapmaker Stentor Danielson, in a style reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien. The map allows visitors to find a sampling of the more significant trees throughout the cemetery.
