The History Of Cremation In Modern Times.

December 4, 1876, The New York Times (Part 2)

Continued from Baron De Palm’s Request. His Remains To Be Cremated On Wednesday.

note: paragraph breaks added for readability.

The subject of cremation was taken up with considerable interest in many parts of Europe about the beginning of the year 1874, in consequence of the publication of a paper on that subject by Sir Henry Thompson, in London, entitled “The Treatment of the Body after Death,” in which cremation was advocated principally as a sanitary measure. The slowness of decomposition after inhumation, and the consequent emanation of deleterious gases, and the infiltration of poisonous matter into the wells and water courses were dwelt upon at considerable length, and excited the fears of a large portion of the community.

The paper was translated twice into German — once in Cologne, and once in Gratz, Austria — and in consequence of this joint publication the Communal Council of Vienna adopted, by a large majority, the proposal by a member to establish in the cemetery the necessary apparatus for cremation, its use being optional and open to all.

Following this, the Communal Council of Gratz, a city with a population of 100,000, decided to consider a like proposal. The matter was then taken up in this country, and was largely discussed by the press, the public taking great interest in the question, as was manifested by the numerous letters written to the different papers by all classes of the more intelligent citizens, the majority of the letter‑writers being in its favor. A singular feature of this discussion was that the ladies of the country took great interest in it, and seemed to approve of the idea. 

On March 27 of the same year the movement had become so popular in this City that a number of prominent gentlemen held an informal meeting in the rooms of Dr. Sexton, No. 12 West Thirty‑fifth Street, and discussed the propriety of forming a regular cremation society. After further consultation, it was decided that a society should be formed, and to this end a meeting, which was largely attended, was held in the rooms of the Young Men’s Christian Association on the 3rd of the following month. The meeting was called to order by Dr. T. M. Welde, and Mr. Henry A. Stone was called to the chair, with Mr. Edward A. Caswell elected Secretary. Letters were read from Mr. D. G. Croly, Rev. O. B. Frothingham, Mr. Chas. A. Dana, Col. Henry S. Olcott and Mr. Henry Bergh, of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Committees were appointed and steps were taken to make the organization permanent, but the matter was allowed to drop, and no further meetings were held by the society.

Many of its members, however, are still in favor of disposing of the bodies of the dead by burning, and are anxiously awaiting the report of the first practical experiment in that direction in this country. This, however, will not be the first act of cremation practiced in the United States. In the year 1792 the body of Henry Laurens, the American patriot and statesman, was burned on his plantation in South Carolina, according to the express directions to his son, left by him in his will. They were very explicit and minute, and left the young man no discretion in the matter. Following is the full clause of the will:

“I solemnly enjoin it on my son as an indispensable duty, that as soon as he conveniently can after my decease, to cause my body to be wrapped in twelve yards of tow‑cloth and burned until it be entirely consumed, and then collecting my bones, deposit them wherever he may think proper.”

Very meagre accounts of the operation are now to be found. The most authentic now extant, however, which is given below, is contained in the New‑York Journal and Patriotic Register of Saturday, Jan. 23, 1793, now on file in the rooms of the New‑York Historical Society.

“The following extract of a letter, dated Charleston, S.C., Dec. 24, is taken from the Norwich Weekly Register of Jan. 14:

‘A few days since departed this life Henry Laurens, Esq., about seventy years of age, and his corpse was burned the Thursday after his decease. This was done by his son at the request of his father, who made this reserve in his will, that unless his son complied with this he should be cut short in any of his estate, which was worth £60,000. The ashes remaining from the body were taken up and put into a silver urn for that purpose.’

The reason Mr. Laurens gave for this desire was that his body was too good to be eaten by worms.”

Another account says that upon the occasion of the death of one of his children by small‑pox, and while the body was lying in the room, Mr. Laurens ordered the windows to be opened in order to admit fresh air into the apartment. The cool breeze caused the child to revive, and its narrow escape from being buried alive caused so great an impression upon Mr. Laurens’ mind as to induce him to determine that he would avoid all risk of meeting so dreadful a fate by having his body burned.

The funeral pyre was erected on a beautiful spot on the brow of a hill on his plantation, and the body, wrapped in cloth, as he had directed, was borne to the place on the shoulders of four of his favorite slaves. After being placed upon the pyre, incense and perfume were heaped upon it. The services were then performed and the torch applied. After the body had been reduced to ashes, they were carefully gathered up and placed in a beautiful silver vase that had been provided for the occasion.

The instances of cremation in modern times in Europe have been more frequent. The burning of the body of the poet Shelley, by order of the Tuscan Government, on the shores of the Mediterranean, by his friends Lord Byron, Leigh Hunt, and Mr. Trelawney, in 1822, is probably the best known. His ashes were afterward deposited in the Protestant burial ground in Rome.

In 1870 or 1871 the body of an East Indian Prince, who died in Florence, was burned by his attendants in the Eastern style, and his ashes were taken back to India. About one year ago the body of Alberto Keller, of Milan, was burned in a temple erected by his orders in a cemetery near that city. In 1875 the body of Lady Dilke, and that of the wife of an eminent German physician, were burned in compliance with the wishes of the deceased.

The crematory in which the body of the Baron de Palm is to be burned, in Washington, Penn., is of brick, one story high, with an iron roof, and is provided with three chimneys. It is divided into two compartments, the reception‑room, about twenty feet square, and the furnace‑room. The retort in which the remains are burned is seven and a half feet long, twenty inches high, and twenty‑eight inches wide. The furnace is beneath, and the whole is inclosed in brick work. While the burning is taking place, no odor will be perceptible, as all gases emanating from the body are returned to the furnace and made to pass over the fire, and are thus consumed.

In 2026, the funeral profession marks an extraordinary milestone: the 150th anniversary of the first modern cremation in North America—the sesquicentennial.

It all began in 1876, when Baron De Palm was cremated at the LeMoyne Crematory in Washington, Pennsylvania. That moment sparked a movement that has profoundly shaped today’s death‑care landscape. To honor this history, CANA is launching a year‑long series of articles, resources, and activities commemorating cremation’s sesquicentennial.

We invite you to join us.

This anniversary is more than a look back—it’s a unique moment for the profession to reflect on 150 years of change and envision what comes next. By participating, you help amplify a conversation that honors our history while advancing the future of death care.
So take a moment to reflect on where we've come, where we are, and where we're going. Then, share your story on social media and with us! Leave us a note on our Contact Us page about what this sesquicentennial means to you.

Republished from the original article published December 3, 1876 and retrieved from the archives of The New York Times:
BARON DE PALM'S REQUEST.;HIS REMAINS TO BE CREMATED ON WEDNESDAY. THE BODY TO BE CONVEYED TO WASHINGTON, PENN., THIS EVENING--DESCRIPTION OF THE FURNACE AND THE PROCESS OF CREMATION--THE ASHES TO BE PRESERVED IN AN ANTIQUE VASE--A SCIENTIFIC DISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECT TO FOLLOW THE BURNING. SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS OF THE CEREMONY. THE HISTORY OF CREMATION IN MODERN TIMES.