Francis Julius LeMoyne


Francis Julius LeMoyne was a 19th-century American medical doctor and philanthropist from Washington, Pennsylvania. Responsible for creating the first crematory in the United States, he was also an abolitionist, founder of Washington's first public library, co-founder of the Washington Female Seminary, and an instrumental benefactor to the LeMoyne Normal and Commercial School, to which he made a $20,000 donation in 1870.

Early life

LeMoyne was the son of John Julius LeMoyne.
He graduated from Washington College in 1815.
He became a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society, gave public lectures beside his home and travelled to U.S. slave states to lecture also, and in 1841, 1884 and 1847 ran as a candidate with the Abolition party for the Governor of Pennsylvania.

Crematory

Deducing that decomposing bodies in local cemeteries were contaminating the water supplies and making the citizens sick, Dr. Lemoyne set out to build the first crematory in the United States. The crematory was finished in 1876 on his own land, perched atop a location known locally as Gallow's Hill. The first cremation took place on December 6, 1876. In 1901, after 41 more cremations were performed, the crematory was closed.
Today, the structure can be found in the same location off of South Main Street.

Lemoyne House

The LeMoyne house, built by father John Julius LeMoyne in 1812, was a stop on the underground railroad. It was Pennsylvania's first of six National Historic Landmarks of the Underground Railroad to be registered. It still stands today at 49 East Maiden Street, near the campus of Washington & Jefferson College, where it has been converted into a museum. The house also serves as the center of the Washington County Historical Society.

Marriage and Descendants

LeMoyne married Madeleine Romaine Bureau. Their descendants include:
In episode 2 of season 8 of the genealogy television show Who_Do_You_Think_You_Are, a short biography is presented, and actress Julie Bowen is shown to be a direct descendant.