GENERAL INFORMATION
To schedule a burial: Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to
1-800-535-1117.
The new 205-acre national cemetery in southeastern Pennsylvania will serve veterans’ needs for the next 50 years. The cemetery is located in Bucks County, north of the city of Philadelphia, about three miles northwest of Interstate 95, and less than three miles from Washington Crossing Historic Park.
In January 2008, VA awarded a design contract to Cairone & Kaupp, Inc. of Philadelphia. VA plans on completing a 12-acre early burial area with temporary facilities (Phase 1A) followed by the second construction stage of the project (Phase 1B). When completed, the 64-acre Phase 1 development will provide 15,500 full casket gravesites, including 15,100 pre-placed crypts, and 6,500 in-ground cremation sites and 4,100 columbarium niches. The new cemetery will also include an administration and public information center complex and public restrooms, a maintenance facility, a cemetery entrance area, a flag assembly area, and committal shelters for funeral services. Other infrastructure design elements include roadways, landscaping, utilities, and irrigation.
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HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Under Development.
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NOTABLE PERSONS
Under Development.
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FLORAL/GROUNDS POLICY
Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.
Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.
Artificial flowers and potted plants will be permitted on graves during periods when their presence will not interfere with grounds maintenance. As a general rule, artificial flowers and potted plants will be allowed on graves for a period extending 10 days before through 10 days after Easter Sunday and Memorial Day.
Christmas wreaths, grave blankets and other seasonal adornments may be placed on graves from Dec. 1 through Jan. 20. They may not be secured to headstones or markers.
Permanent plantings, statues, vigil lights, breakable objects and similar items are not permitted on the graves. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not permit adornments that are considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery or considered hazardous to cemetery personnel. For example, items incorporating beads or wires may become entangled in mowers or other equipment and cause injury.
Permanent items removed from graves will be placed in an inconspicuous holding area for one month prior to disposal. Decorative items removed from graves remain the property of the donor but are under the custodianship of the cemetery. If not retrieved by the donor, they are then governed by the rules for disposal of federal property.
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