Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
EAST
(1)
(2) (3) (tree)
(5)
(4)
(6)
(7)
(21)
NORTH (8) (9)
(10) (11) (12) (13)
(14)
(15) (16) SOUTH
(tree stump)
(18)
(17)
(19)
(Cooke Burial
Ground Sign)
(20)
(Entrance path)
(The entrance is in the SW corner of the clearing of the thicket surrounding the
grounds today. The Cooke Burial Ground Sign is covered.)
WEST
Notes: The gravestone face east with the rising sun, many are badly deteriorated/ leaning in 2010
and the burial ground area is surrounded by a thicket. Some of the smaller stones look like
possible foot stones and/or have no markings. There are stakes in places that may mark a burial
location but no other information. This land was originally owned by Andrew Swearingen and
Elizabeth Chaplin. The first known burial was in 1803 of their son, Thomas Swearingen.
Ancestors from several generations of Swearingen and Cooke families are buried in the Cooke
Burial Ground. The 1863 will of John L. Cooke (d 1872) indicates he is “of South Strabane
township in the County of Washington and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania…..in which he
devises his executive and their heirs, in trust to be used as a burial place about one half an acre
of ground as the spot on my farm now used for that purpose….”
Today the land is owned……………………………..
The small burial ground is not maintained at this time. An early Boy Scout project cleaned up
the cemetery and I am hopeful of locating another to help with that today.
The SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) have placed flags to denote Revolutionary and Civil
War service. (write more here……after talk with them)
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Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
Directions From I-79 South
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Exit Race Track Road.
Turn right and continue to stop light.
Turn left at light onto Pike Street and continue to next stop light.
Turn right at light onto Country Club Road.
Go to "T" intersection (stop sign).
Turn left at stop sign.
Cross railroad tracks and pass under I=79.
You will pass the Golf Club of Washington (599 Country Club Road)
Turn right onto Enterprise Road.
Proceed a short distance to Fairway Drive.
The dirt lane goes over the hill and bears off to the right.
The cemetery is in the middle of a thicket on your right.
Directions From I-70 East or West
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Exit 7-A, Murtland Avenue, Rt. 19 South.
Turn right at light onto Oak Spring Road.
The Washington Mall is on your right.
Continue to the end of Oak Spring Road.
Turn right at light onto Locust Avenue
Go under I-70 and make an immediate left onto Country Club Road.
You will pass the Golf Club of Washington (599 Country Club Road)
Turn left onto Enterprise Road.
Proceed a short distance to Fairway Drive.
The dirt lane goes over the hill and bears off to the right.
The cemetery is in the middle of a thicket on your right.
Lat: 40˚ 12’ 22”N, Lon: 80˚ 14’ 41”W
I have transcribed as much as is legible on the gravestone in 2010.(items in brackets
indicate information when Gina Nestor read the cemetery in 2003 or through
research)
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Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
(1)John Lyttleton Cooke Died May 6th, 1872 in the 61st year of his age. The Lord is
my Shepherd. Our Father.
1.
(2)Mary M. (Moore) Mull wife of John Mull Sr. Jan 22, 1844-Aug 15, 1911
2.
(3)John Mull Jan. 15, 1843-Apr 7, 1919 Co F 32nd Reg US Col. Vols. (US Colored
Troops, Civil War)
3.
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Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
(4)White Grave stone – with a crest/no written information legible (is near the Hon.
Isaac Leet and his son markers. It could possibly be Margaret Cooke Leet)
4.
(5)Obelisk stone – no legible information (seems to be near the center of the cemetery
– perhaps a marker denoting same)
5.
(6)In Memory of Hon. Isaac Leet who died June 10th, 1844 aged 42 years.
Distinguished for his talents at the Law in the Senate of Pennsylvania and this
(chipped away)
6.
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Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
(7)Edmund C., son of Isaac & Margaret Leet Died Oct 26, 1852, aged 23 years.
7.
(8)In Memory of Sarah Jane Cooke wife of Dr. Alfred Creigh born Sept 11th 1814
died Oct 8th 1842. Earth exchanged for heaven.
8.
(9)Ellen Dunbar Creigh Daughter of Dr. A (Alfred) and S. J. (Sarah Jane) Creigh
born and died September 30, 1842 (b 30 Sep 1842)
9.
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Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
(10)In Memory of John Cooke who departed this life July 1858 In his 87th year.
10.
(11)In Memory of Sarah Swearingen (broken pieces) (d 18 Jan 1852, age 81 yr, wife
of John Cooke)
11.
(12) Helen Cooke who died 1822 (stone laying down)
12.
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Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
(13) In Memory of Elizabeth Cooke who departed this life ____ 1821 (broken stone
leaning on A. Cooke stone)
(Photo - see #13)
(14) In Memory of Andrew S. (Swearingne) Cooke who departed this life on the 18th
of August 1923 in the 24th year of his age.
14.
(15)In Memory of Andrew Swearingen Esq. who departed this life on the 26th day of
June 1824 in the 78th year of his age. (Revolutionary War)
15.
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Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
(16) In Memory of Elizabeth Chaplin wife of Andrew Swearingen who departed this
life (broken stone) (Dec 11, 1834 age 85 y)
16.
(17)There is what appears to be a foot stone or small child’s stone “ M……….M”
(Photo not shown here.)
(18) John Mull Born ________Died Sept 13,1872 Aged 60 years
18.
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Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
(19) Samuel Mull 1856-1930 Gone but not forgotten
19.
(20) Sarah J. White 1861-1939
20.
(21) stone broken and laying on ground in front of Andrew Swearingen stone.
In Memory of Thom(as) Swe(aringen). He depart(ed this life April 12 in the (year) of
our Lord 1803. 29 years of Age.
21.
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Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
In addition, when Gina Nestor read the cemetery in 2003, the following gravestones
were located:
Bennet, Abigail Agnes, d 21 Jan 1855, age 1y 9m
Eterrel, Benjamin, d 30 Sep 1857, age 33y. Native of New Orleans
Lewis, Katie, b 30 Aug 1861, d 17 Oct 1886
Moore, Sarah, d 5 Oct 1861, age 45y 9m 9d
================================================================
Those believed buried in Cooke Burial Ground but no gravestone found:
Margaret Savage (Cooke) Leet d 18 Feb 1849 married Isaac Leet
Lyttleton Cooke - born March 31, 1807 - died April 19, 1807.
Sarah Cooke - born December 21, 1809 - died April 4, 1810.
Unknown is the burial location for Sarah (Redick) Swearingen d 1813 in Washington
County; wife of Thomas Swearingen d 1803.
Other children of Margaret Savage Cooke and Isaac Leet who were not traced and
could possibly be buried here are:
Sara Leet, Isaac Leet, Mary Leet , and John Leet.
This 10-page document was compiled by Lola M. (Swearingen) Weber
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Cooke Burial Ground, Washington, Pennsylvania
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