From Revolutionary War soldiers to Mister Rogers, thousands have been buried at Unity Cemetery

UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) – A cemetery in Westmoreland County is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. The cemetery is so old that more than 30 people buried there fought in the American Revolutionary War.

When you first arrive at Unity Cemetery outside of Latrobe, you will immediately be struck by the peace and tranquility of this place.

Of course, a tranquil setting is the hallmark of many churchyards, but this hallowed ground has its roots dating back to before the American Revolution. In fact, some 32 people buried here fought for our liberation from the tyrannical rule of Great Britain during the Revolutionary War.

Mary Lou Townsend is the president of the Latrobe Area Historical Society and knows a lot about the people buried here. She also knows a lot about how this place came to be.

“The people here at the cemetery were involved in the beginnings of the county and the country,” Townsend said. “Westmoreland County was organized in 1773 and a year later the trustees of the Unity Congregation applied for a grant of land for a cemetery and meeting house. And that grant was made on March 1, 1774.”

What began as a modest Presbyterian cemetery in the 1770s has now grown to 200 acres. Over the past 250 years, approximately 15,000 people have been buried here, and one of those people is still fondly remembered both locally and across the country. That person is none other than Mister Rogers from television.

“Fred Rogers grew up in the Latrobe Presbyterian Church, which established a mission in the Unity Church in the mid-1800s,” Townsend said. “His entire family belonged to that church and he, his grandparents and parents are all buried here in Unity.”

From soldiers to a television legend and everyone in between, Unity Cemetery is a monument to both Latrobe’s past and a community’s proud heritage.

For more information about this place click here.