Eden Cemetery - Collingdale, Pennsylvania
Eden Cemetery, Collingdale, Pennsylvania. The signage at the front gate is a little confusing.
Located at:
1434 Springfield Road
Collingdale, PA 19023
Phone: 610-583-8737
Email: sales@edencemetery.org
Website: www.edencemetery.org
Photo: Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania. It is fairly large.
About:
Bills itself as "the oldest African-American owned cemetery in the United States."
53 acres in size.
Perpetual Care Funding:
As of December 31, 2014 they had $461,679 set aside in their "permanent lot care fund."
From their required filing... it appears they sold $41,800 worth of burial lots in 2014 and $66,300 worth of burial lots in 2013.
Besides burial lot sales, cemeteries make money with their:
grave opening fees (where they dig the hole for the casket),
with foundation fees,
and other charges, like for inscription permit fees.
Pricing as of March 2017
The minimum cost for a foundation is... expensive. One source says it is $450. Another source says it is $500. This is for a stone with a 2 foot by 1 foot base.
In addition, whether a headstone is being set or an inscription is being done (the sandblasting of names and dates on an existing headstone), there is a $105 fee. It is highly unusual for a cemetery in metropolitan Philadelphia to charge a fee to erect a headstone, in addition to the foundation fee. And their foundation fees might be the highest in Delaware County.
Important detail for monument dealers: The cemetery notes that the grave location must be inscribed in the lower left corner of the headstone.
Lot Pricing:
$450 for cremains or still-borns.
$900 for a single grave for 1 body - single depth.
$1000 to $1400 for a single grave for 2 bodies - double depth.
$1500 to $2100 for a single grave for 3 bodies - triple depth.
$3000 to $4200 for a family estate. This includes up to 3 graves able to hold 2 bodies each.
A liner or vault is required.
It appears they also charge an additional fee depending upon which section of the cemetery you wish to buy in to. These costs range from $1000 to $1400.
Opening & Closing Fees:
$1300 for grave openings taking place on weekdays.
$1400 for grave openings taking place on Saturdays (until 1pm ).
$500 for still born babies, and baibies up to 2 years old.
$800 for burial of cremated remains on weekdays (required liner included).
$900 or burial of cremated remains on weekdays (required liner included).
$300 for an extra width grave.
The overtime rate of $75 per half hour will be charged on any funeral arriving after 2pm on weekdays or after 1pm on Saturdays.
All of this information can be found on their website at: www.edencemetery.org/prices/burialprices.htm
Observations:
Nice sign along the road. Inside, the grass is shaggy. They should have cut it one more time at the end of last year. Stones are leaning. Some are toppled over. And it appears some of them had even been spray painted by vandals, and then powerwashed. But the work did not remove the paint completely.
Resources:
News story about Eden Cemetery being historic.
http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20101114/NEWS/311149994
Noteworthy cemeteries within 5 miles of Eden Cemetery:
Arlington Cemetery - one of the region's best.
Fernwood Cemetery - large non-denominational cemetery.
Friends Southwestern Burial Ground - Quaker cemetery. Good value.
Holy Cross Cemetery - Catholic cemetery. Big. Nice.
Montrose Cemetery - Upper Darby.
Woodlands Cemetery - University City area.
Eden Cemetery. Collingdale, Pennsylvania. Foundation prices are high here, yet some of the headstones are leaning.
