On Sunday, May 21st, we held our Annual Ode to Ormandy. Former Philadelphia Orchestra conductor, Maestro Eugene Ormandy & his wife, Margaret, are buried at Old Pine St Presbyterian Church. Every May we place red roses on their graves celebrating their wedding anniversary. This year we had two members of the Philadelphia Orchestra performing: Mei Ching Huang on violin & Ohad Bar-David on cello. Volunteer archivist, Jane Alling, and historian, Dan Campbell, retold the story as to how this famous musician came to be buried here at Old Pine Street. The full narrative can be found on our website www.oldpineconservancy.org/research/ under biographical sketches.  

     Members of the Independence Hall Chapter/National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, members of the Boys/Cub Scout Pack 176 along with their parents, Old Pine Conservancy members and volunteers all joined us on Saturday May 27th to replace over 200 Thirteen Star flags on the graves of American Revolutionary war patriots buried at Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church. Docent Albert Meinster provided the volunteers with a tour of this historic graveyard. Our new fluttering flags will again invite visitors to explore this solemn place, home to veterans of the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. It is the resting place of both notables as well as tradesmen and sailors from the colonial period. Women who helped both the cause for the nation's independence as well as the freedom for enslaved African Americans are also entombed here.  

     Memorial Day was commemorated on Monday, May 29th. We honored our patriots, both resting in our historic graveyard and those who hold a place in our memory of residents by a reading of their names. The reading was followed by Taps played by bugler, Aidan Peterson.  

     Aiden Peterson returned on June 14th to help us celebrate Flag Day with rousing music on his bugle.  

     The celebrations of the spring fold into a collaboration with the Boy Scout Pack 176. Under the leadership of Scout master Heidi Micolucci, the scouts and our master gardener, Marc Tisssenbaum, will work on various projects in the graveyard. Together they will work to help  bring us closer to the goal of providing a beautiful graveyard for all to enjoy while teaching the scouts about the relationship between various ecosystems and the plants and flowers gracing this site.  

     Throughout the summer, the Old Pine Conservancy will continue to provide docent led tours on Saturdays, 10-2 weather permitting. Visitors are also welcome to download the self- guided audio tours which affords access to the intriguing stories and insights into the lives of those buried in this historic site. The app is Old Pine Tours and is available both on iPhone and Android.  

     We invite you to stop by and enjoy the beauty, tranquility  as well as the remarkable history found in this graveyard and garden.