walk through history
cemetery maps and tours
one of a kind...
Mount Bethel Cemetery is divided into sections labeled A through M. To see details, select the section from the map below. Zoom in to view the individual plot numbers. On each map is a reference block that indicates where in the overall cemetery the section is located.
For detailed maps of each section, click the links below.
Thomas Welsh, the highest-ranking military veteran interred at Mount Bethel, is among those resting in this section.
The only underground vault at Mount Bethel Cemetery – final resting place of Christian Kauffman – is located here.
Bordered by Bethel Street, Section C includes a cross-section of people whose stories reflect the challenges of daily living .
Local politicians and businessmen and their families, including the Christian Hershey and James Perrottet families, are among those buried in this section.
One of the features of Section E is Veteran’s Row, a swath of plots purchased by County Commissioners for veteran burials.
Look for rare white bronze monuments, almost pure zinc, that were produced between 1874 and 1914 in Section F.
More current gravesites are featured here, as active burials still occur in this section.
The Caretaker’s Cottage, built in 1868 for $1,310, is the first structure to greet visitors. It anchors Section H.
The Olde Brick Burial Yard was given by Susanna Wright. Interred here are the founders of Columbia, their families, and other notables from Columbia’s early history.
take a virtual tour…
… or visit the cemetery for a self-guided walking tour.
Brochures to guide your exploration are available at the Caretaker’s Cottage at Mount Bethel Cemetery.
inspired by yesterday
The earliest burial marker still legible is dated 1745. In December of 1819, John L. Wright conveyed a plot of ground to the Society of Friends for a burial ground. This is Section J today.
We have not found the paper work but this action led to the conveyance of a plot to the Presbyterian Congregation, Section K. the Methodist Congregation, Section L, and the Lutheran Congregation, Section M. Another plot was set aside for the Borough to use for the burial of the poor and the black population and is known as Potters Field.
