The Green Hill Cemetery Association incorporated in 1873, offering Waynesboro’s citizens a more modern burial choice for beloved family members when those mortal lives expired.
Cemeteries were a contemporary concept in American culture during that era. In contrast to cramped church graveyards or tiny family plots, which were the norm, cemeteries offered a park-like setting and larger expanses of manicured ground. Green Hill Cemetery’s design, which would eventually expand to 65 acres, was laid out artistically with winding lanes that mimicked a garden aesthetic.
But back then, some locals were skeptical of this new option. A few said Green Hill’s land was too remote since it was not located near Waynesboro’s town center. Others voiced opposition to the proposed cemetery’s rural tract, called Shank’s Woods, saying it was unfit due to its heavily wooded condition. As Green Hill’s visionary founders pushed forward with ambitious plans, the enterprise’s success was uncertain.
Green Hill experienced modest progress in its first decade. A more prosperous era began in 1888 when a twenty-seven-year-old man was appointed the cemetery’s third Superintendent. His name was Ferdinand S. Gilbert. “He had a wonderful imagination,” says Todd Dorsett, a local historian and Executive Director of the Antietam Historical Association. “Gilbert was the first Superintendent who really cared. He went far beyond what was necessary.”
While his two predecessors did an admirable job, Gilbert set a new standard for dedication and excellence. Utilizing his vitality, intelligence, and sensitivity, Gilbert would remain Green Hill’s caretaker for a remarkable 46 years. His artistic talents were a perfect complement to the cemetery’s long-range ideals, so it flourished under his leadership.
Gilbert kept busy with official duties at Green Hill, but some of his whimsical energy and innate craftsmanship spilled out unto Waynesboro’s streets. He arranged the town’s Christmas decorations, known for their taste and originality. With his talent for landscape design, Gilbert later created a botanical wonder that won him not only local admirers, but national recognition.
In the volume “Green Hill Cemetery: Stories of Waynesboro,” authors Todd Dorsett and Sidney Miller chronicle the cemetery’s illustrious 150-year history and its influence on Waynesboro; including Ferdinand Gilbert’s topiary zoo. The following book excerpt explains that unique attraction.
“Between 1926 and 1934, Ferdinand S. Gilbert beautified the southern approach to Waynesboro along South Potomac avenue and the Leitersburg road with features fashioned from various forms of vegetation. The earliest mention of his handicraft described his use of approximately seven hundred pounds of rope to create ‘The Queen of the Jungles,’ a huge figure of an elephant mounted on a truck chassis for use as a parade float. After it served its original purpose, the elephant was parked near the intersection of West Eighth street and South Potomac avenue, as an advertisement for Gilbert’s Zoo. Of course, the neighborhood children played on the Queen, notwithstanding the admonition ‘Hands Off’ on the sign hanging on her.
“F.S. Gilbert’s project covered South Potomac avenue from Sixth street southward to Green Hill Cemetery. There seemed to be no end to what he could fashion from plant life. He made birds, horses, a giraffe, a bear, a jackass, human figures, and a piano. He even spelt the name of the cemetery in privet hedge, and created the living greeting ‘Welcome to Waynesboro’ on the opposite side of the road in 1927.
“In 1929, in anticipation of razing the old toll house on his land opposite the cemetery, Daniel G. H. Lesher removed a hedge bordering the highway, and thus opened part of a field for public use in conjunction with Gilbert’s work.
“Gilbert’s Topiary Zoo or ‘hedge menagerie brought Waynesboro national attention and positive feedback from tourists. In 1931, the Baltimore Sun featured the zoo in its gravure section and during the same year a motion-picture company made a two-hundred-foot newsreel about the project, in which Gilbert himself spoke. Numerous former Waynesboro residents reported watching the newsreel in theatres across America.
“In 1933, the Esso Tours and Detours publication of Standard Oil Company mentioned Waynesboro’s zoo: ‘You’ll see a curious sight at Waynesboro, Pennsylvania- the dozens of animals which have been clipped from trees and shrubs along South Potomac street. You’ll see birds and bunnies galore, sitting and standing. Even chickens coming home to roost. And out in the distance, on a field fence, a boy is riding a prancing steed. On the brow of a hill, a rearing horse is being developed. And then there’s the elephant. You’ll probably want a picture of him, unless the editor misses his guess.’
“With Ferdinand S. Gilbert’s death in 1934 came the inevitable neglect of his zoo. The following year, however, the local Business and Professional Women’s Club assumed responsibility for its resuscitation. They held fund-raising events and contracted with florist Lewis C. Happel to maintain the topiary. The borough government made a financial contribution towards upkeep of the lawn surrounding the zoo.
“Ultimately the widening and straightening of the highway outweighed the benefits of the topiary zoo, and in 1947 the zoo was removed. For many years the metal framework of a giraffe stood along South Potomac avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets as part of a business sign and lamp, but it too was removed when rowhouses were constructed there.”
Looking back, it seems the only obstacle that could curtail Gilbert’s boundless creativity was death itself. On the day he died, he still occupied the Superintendent’s position. With his work finally completed, Gilbert now rests beneath a handsome headstone in Green Hill Cemetery.
Thanks to Gilbert and the many caretakers who followed, Green Hill remains one of the region’s finest cemeteries. Mr. Dorsett speaks fondly of Gilbert when recognizing the past Superintendent’s many accomplishments. “He was a thoughtful person. His long tenure at Green Hill proves that extra effort pays off.”
Today, one remaining visible aspect of Gilbert’s topiary legacy can be viewed at the cemetery entrance where “Green Hill” is spelled out botanically in an expertly-trimmed hedge.
In celebration of Green Hill’s Sesquicentennial, a series of 2023 events is scheduled to commemorate that historic milestone. On Saturday, August 12th, the cemetery will host a mid-summer picnic, with a 5k road race at 8 am, along with cemetery tours and a Wayne Band concert. In tribute to Ferdinand Gilbert, a new portrait of him will be unveiled.
Tickets to the catered lunch, which begins at noon, are still available. For more information, call 717-762-2759 or 717-658-6789, email [email protected], visit the website: www.greehillcemetery.net or view the cemetery’s Facebook page.
“Green Hill Cemetery: Stories of Waynesboro,” is available online at Amazon. Along with Gilbert’s memorable story, the hardbound book highlights many fascinating aspects of Green Hill’s story through Dorsett’s well-researched writing and Miller’s attractive contemporary photographs.
