Baltimore Cemetery

"A couple dozen blocks east on North Avenue from its more famous cousin, Greenmount Cemetery, Baltimore Cemetery is a little less known. Fewer famous folks enjoy their final slumber here, though if you're a big "Our Gang" fan, you'll want to track down Norman Chaney, who played an obscure character named Chubby in the early episodes. The monuments tend to be smaller, perhaps reflecting a more working-class clientele, but the sweeping high-ground vistas of the city more than compensate. It's all terribly picturesque. Our favorite thing about Baltimore Cemetery, though, is its dramatic approach: up a sharp hill at the end of North Avenue with the imposing cemetery gates that appear, due to a trick of perspective, to open only to the sky. Once inside the graves run, like death itself, all downhill from there."

~ article in the Baltimore City Paper, Baltimore, MD, 9/17/2003  

The cemetery opened in 1850 and lies in the Northeast corner of the City. It is on high ground and comprises over 100 acres overlooking the city.   The entrance to the cemetery was designed to appear that entering the gates were like entering heaven…from a certain angle..it is all sky.

The cemetery’s founders designed and priced the cemetery for the surrounding community and the blue collar employees living in the area.  When the cemetery opened the cost for an eight by ten plots cost $10-15 and accommodated four plots.

The cemetery was announced through a Sunpaper ad printed on November 18, 1850.  The ad was placed by Ben Lavender, Baltimore Cemetery’s first President.  

Many Germans are interred in this cemetery. Most were German immigrants that worked in the many breweries that surrounded the cemetery.  One of the most famous buried here was the Vonderhorst family.  They were vey influential.  Many do not know they were also the owners of the Baltimore Orioles in the late 1800s…also building one of the first baseball parks.  In those days there were Schutzenparks and this neighborhood was lucky enough to have one.  It was at these parks that the German community met, played games, sang and drank beer.  It was family and fun times 

Germans were the largest group interred at Baltimore Cemetery however, after prohibition and the closing of the breweries many left the area.  During the 'flu epidemic' in 1918 there were as many as 24 burials per day.

There are many notables buried here and it is one of Baltimore's oldest cemeteries.  It is showing its age and the neighborhood has changed considerably.  The people that work the office and friendly and most helpful.

2500 E North Ave

Baltimore, MD 21213-1598

410-327-1101

Baltimore Heritage’s Five Minute History of Baltimore Cemetery

Photo Album from the Baltimore Cemetery

Photos taken 9.6.2010 & 4.24.2019

Headstones in Photographs-Due to the large number of transcriptions, click the box in the upper right corner of the spreadsheet to open in a new window...this is much easier to navigate then scrolling here.