LeMoyne House
Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Built, 1812, by Dr. John LeMoyne. For many years, home of his son Dr. Francis LeMoyne, noted abolitionist, and builder of first crematory in U.S. Now the home of the Washington County Historical Society.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Built in 1812 in the young town of Washington, this brick house became the home of Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne, a physician remembered as one of western Pennsylvania's most outspoken abolitionists in the decades before the Civil War. LeMoyne pushed his convictions in directions few contemporaries dared, later erecting the first crematory in the United States and championing public education and reform. The house survives as the home of the Washington County Historical Society, keeping that reform-minded legacy in place.
Why it matters
It links a single Pennsylvania household to two national currents at once — the antislavery movement and America's first experiment with cremation — showing how local reformers shaped the country's moral and cultural debates.
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Related people
- · Dr. John LeMoyne
- · Dr. Francis LeMoyne
Related events
- · Abolition movement
Themes & tags
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