Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is a VA national cemetery in York, Pennsylvania. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

The local Reformed Church of York, Pennsylvania, chartered Prospect Hill Cemetery in 1849. The first burial in the cemetery took place two years later. Soon after, burials in other local cemeteries began to be re-interred in Prospect Hill, including the remains of Phillip Livingston, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Many prominent local citizens have come to rest in Prospect Hill, and today there are more than 90,000 interments in the 327-acre cemetery.

Prospect Hill Soldiers' Lot is located in section A, lot 689, of the parent cemetery. The exact date of the establishment of the soldiers' lot is unknown, but records indicate that the first burials occurred as early as 1862, and were most likely soldiers who died at the local hospital. Originally located on the west slope of Prospect Hill, the soldiers' lot was later moved to a more favorable location on the eastern slope. There are 161 known and two unknown graves in the soldiers' lot, all without headstones. Alternatively, the names are inscribed on two continuous circular curbs enclosing a central soldiers' monument, with breaks only for the path.

Monuments and Memorials In the years following the Civil War, the citizens of York commissioned sculptor Martin Milmore to create a monument for the soldiers' lot. A local firm, Brashears & Son, provided the stone base. Erected in 1874, the 15-foot bronze figure of a soldier honors Union troops who died in the York area. The sculpture stands atop a square granite base surrounded by four cannons.

Directions

From Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, take Interstate 81 to Interstate 83 South. Follow Interstate 83 South to the George Street exit. Take George Street to cemetery. The cemetery will be on the right.

Flowers and grounds rules

Decorations limited to two per grave. Arbors, basket hooks, tripods, rustic or iron work, architectural items, wires, stakes and furniture are prohibited. Vases made of wood, iron, brick, cement, terra cotta, glass, ceramic, and/or any other easily broken materials are not permitted. No pots or containers are to be buried or embedded in the ground or lawn. Fencing, coping, curbing, walls, or any other item that obstructs the movement of mowers or other cemetery equipment is prohibited.

All floral remembrances must be in an easy to trim vase container.

Education and visiting programs

More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, PA.

A National Cemetery System Prospect Hill Soldiers' Lot - York at War

Who can be buried at Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot directly at 717-865-5254.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Pennsylvania law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Pennsylvania and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, by straight-line distance:

• Ashland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Carlisle, PA: 28 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, PA: 32 mi, open for burials
• Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery, Owings Mills, MD: 37 mi, open for burials