AKA: Rock
Township: Benner Township
Number of Stones: Originally 36
Dates of Activity: 1780-1860
Tax Map #: 12-
Photo by Nancy Lee Stover
Caretaker:
References:
Centre County Library Reference: Spangler Book 73, pgs. 68-69.
CCGS Project Status: published.
Gerbers 20, 35
Land Owner: Rockview State Correctional
Directions: Take Shiloh Road off Route 150 (Benner Pike). It is 1.3 miles from Benner Pike to a dirt road on the left. Turn onto dirt road, go down the hill and through the trees. Road comes out in a large open field. Cemetery is to the left, surrounded by a white fence, wall and trees.
Overall Condition:
Notes: Stone Wall.
Historical Status: This cemetery certainly comes close enough to the historical definitions set by both the National Register and State's Burial Grounds Act to warrant protection. It has been both inactive for over 50 years and active for nearly the required 100 years. Though it is still a family burial plot, a case can be made that it is the resting spot for General Philip Benner. The cemetery is also enclosed by a stone fence.
Preservation Recommendation: This cemetery, though on private land, has received some care in the past. It may however, require the formalization of finding a volunteer caretaker. Unfortunately, access is much more limited in this case, both to caretakers and to visitors, due to its location on prison property. As such, preservation methods should rely on a one-time visit to both restore and fix any potentially problematic stones and to thoroughly document and map the cemetery. If the prison allows, perhaps a yearly visit by a volunteer caretaker.