LeMoyne Crematory

A 20' x 30' one-story, three-bay brick building, the crematory is the first such installation in the United States. It was built in 1876 by Dr. F. Julius LeMoyne who believed cremation was more sanitary than ground burial which resulted in decay that eventually leached into the groundwater drinking supply. There were 42 cremations, including that of Dr. LeMoyne in 1879, before it was closed in 1900. It is currently open on a limited schedule by Washington County Historical Society. [p. 156 POP]