Turner Cemetery History Walk – 16th Annual

The Sixteenth Annual Turner Cemetery History Walk, sponsored by the Friends of Turner Cemetery of Mary S. Brown Memorial Church and the Squirrel Hill Historical Society, will take place on Saturday, October 12, from 12:00 –3:00 p.m.  The cemetery is located at 3424 Beechwood Boulevard on the border of Greenfield and Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh. Parking is available on Beechwood Blvd. and Saline St. alongside the cemetery.

Turner Cemetery is a historic half-acre graveyard dating from 1785 to the 1880s and later, containing the remains of Native Americans, early settlers of Squirrel Hill, and military veterans from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War.  It is located on land originally owned by Simon Girty, which later passed into the hands of his half-brother, John Turner.

Come to see the military tombstones installed to honor veterans of the Revolutionary War and other early wars and for Mary Girty Turner, the mother of John Turner and Simon Girty.

The History Walk will be self-guided.  Informational placards will be set up in the cemetery at individual graves, on the fences, and at other places in the cemetery that have historical interest.

Cemetery researchers will be on hand to answer questions about its history.  A Welcome Table will have flyers about the cemetery and the Squirrel Hill Historical Society and books about Squirrel Hill and the cemetery for sale.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations are accepted. All donations go toward the upkeep of the cemetery.

Schedule:

12:00: Turner Cemetery History Walk opens.

Ongoing from 12:00–3:00: Self-guided walking tours, with researchers on hand to answer questions about the cemetery’s people and history.

NOTE: The half-acre cemetery is on an uneven grassy slope without paths. It is handicap-accessible, but the ground has small pits and depressions, so care must be taken when walking. By attending the Turner Cemetery History Walk, you agree to not hold Friends of Turner Cemetery, Mary S. Brown Memorial Church, or the Squirrel Hill Historical Society responsible for any injuries incurred. There are no restroom facilities. Parking is available along Beechwood Boulevard by the cemetery.

For more information, go to www.turnercemetery.org, or contact Helen Wilson, Turner Cemetery researcher, hjtwilson@verizon.net.