Prospect Hill Cemetery has a new historical marker at its entrance and is part of a walking tour of Towson’s historic sites.
Located on what was originally part of the Hampton estate of Charles Ridgely, this land was part of the related Chew family estate, Epsom. Fourteen acres passed at the death of Harriet Chew to Benjamin Chew, and in 1886 the property was bequeathed to Chew’s niece, Anna Grason, who created a community cemetery. In 1890, Anna and William Grason sold the property to John and Henry Longnecker, publishers of “The Baltimore County Union” in Towson, on the condition that it would continue to be used as a cemetery.
Erwin and Ethel Brown Huber bought the cemetery in 1942, under the name Prospect Hill Park Cemetery, reflecting its 19th century park-like environment. Between the 1950s and the 1970s, the Hubers sold off eight acres that did not contain graves, leaving the six-acre burial ground.
By 1984, the cemetery had fallen into disrepair. A group led by Dr. Robert Parker, James Campbell and Carroll Klingelhofer formed a non-profit corporation to purchase the cemetery and bring back it back to its former beauty. Since 1984, Prospect Hill has been managed by an all-volunteer board and run as an active cemetery. More than 3,000 people are buried here. Many monuments reflect significant families in the history of Towson.
View from the cemetery looking north about 1917. Photo by E.T. Kenney. Photo courtesy of Baltimore County Public Library collection.
