All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #085 for April 2026   Philadelphia's City Hall doubles as an art gallery and sculpture garden. More than 250 of Alexander Milne Calder's statues grace the massive walls of the building. But at ground level on the plaza outside the building there are seven more statues, two of them equestrian.  Matthias William Baldwin was a precision jeweler turned locomotive manufacturer who gave away most of his wealth. His factory manufactured 75,000 railroad engines before it closed down. John McArthur, Jr., was a Scottish architect who specialized in massive buildings. City Hall in its time was the largest building in the Western Hemisphere.  William Bullitt was a transplanted southern lawyer who believed in both slavery and secession, yet he was chosen to rewrite the city's constitution in the 1870s.  Samuel Perkins was the Director of the Public Buildings who ruled over the proceedings with an iron fist and was rewarded with a private joke in the south entry portico. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #054 for mid-March, 2026   Sophie Hutchinson Drinker (1888-1967) came from one Philadelphia blueblood family and married into another. She and her husband Harry led musical singing parties in their Merion home for 30 years. When Sophie started a woman's choir, she was frustrated in her search for music by, for, and about women. She made it her life's work to discover how woman had been shut out from their early roles in religion, medicine, and music. Her 1948 book Music & Women is a feminist classic. The Sophie Drinker Institute of Bremen Germany carries on women's music studies in her name and tradition. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #084, part 4 Emmy Lou "Clare" Linford Wofford was present at the creation of the United States Peace Corps, along with her husband Harris Wofford, one of John Kennedy's "Best and Brightest." While Harris served as college president and United States Senator, Clare served in the background at three Philadelphia Universities. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #084, part 3   Florence Cowanova (born Cowan in 1901) was the daughter of dancers Edward and Mary Cowan. On the suggestion of dancer Anna Pavlova, she adopted the surname Cowanova. Florence grew up immersed in dance, with her father specializing in kinesiology and her mother in dance instruction and publicity. By her teens, Florence was recognized as a versatile dancer and teacher, running a popular studio that staged large recitals at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, featuring hundreds of students. Thousands of Philadelphia girls fondly remember their sessions with Mme Cowanova, who made them all feel like princesses.   

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #084, part 2   Matilda "Tillie May" Forney, raised in a prominent Philadelphia family with journalistic roots, gained experience as her father’s secretary and became a columnist known for her “Fashionable Luncheon and Tea Toilets” column, which focused on high society fashion and etiquette. Her column catered to an affluent audience, discussing topics like French fabrics and social customs.  Tillie never married or left her family home on Washington Square. She was buried in her father’s plot at Laurel Hill West. Her life and career reflect both the opportunities and constraints faced by women journalists of her era.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #084, part 1   Emily Elizabeth “Lillie” Smith Edwards Holman (1854–1925), aka "E.E. Holman," emerged as a trailblazer in architecture. After starting as a clerk in an architect’s office, she quickly demonstrated design talent and transitioned into practicing architecture independently. Holman designed numerous homes, theaters, and institutional buildings over a career spanning about twenty years. Holman encountered gender bias from clients but often overcame it by delivering quality work. She believed successful women architects must master all aspects of the profession, including technical knowledge, supervision, and business acumen, while disregarding gender stereotypes.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #084   Emily Elizabeth Holman was an accomplished architect who preferred using her initials so as not to disclose her gender.   Matilda “Tillie May” Forney followed in the steps of her newspaper publisher father John Forney. She made newspaper work her career at a time when women were barely tolerated in the newsroom.   Florence Cowanova was the ballet teacher all the little girls loved. Among her famed students: Zelda Fitzgerald, Imogene Coca, and Princess Grace.   Emmy Lou Lindgren married Harris Wofford in 1948 before going to live in India for 9 months. While Harris became one of JFK’s “Best and Brightest,” under her married name Clare Wofford became a lynchpin in the successful formation of the Peace Corps.

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #053 Architecture expanded during the 19th century period of European colonialization, ignoring influences from Asia and Africa. Although not buried at Laurel Hill, African American architect Julian Abele is thought to have designed mausoleums at both properties. Walter R. Livingston, Jr., interred at Laurel Hill West, is considered Philadelphia's top Black post-War architect; his masterwork is the Zion Baptist Church on North Broad Street. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #083, part 4   Mpozi Mshale Tolbert was a West Philadelphia native who became a beloved photojournalist and DJ in Indianapolis. Despite his 6'6" frame and waist-length dreadlocks, he was described by all who knew him as a gentle giant. Two murals of Mpozi exist in Indianapolis’s Broad Ripple and Fountain Square neighborhoods, celebrating his life and work.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #083, part 3 Reverend John Komai, son of a Krahn chief, and his wife Julia Komai were prominent Liberians who fled their homeland during the 1989 coup, leaving behind their estate and enduring a perilous journey to Sierra Leone before resettling in the United States. John became a community leader for Liberian refugees in the U.S., working as a counselor and continuing efforts to support Liberian refugees. Julia was a political activist who had been jailed in 1979 for opposing human rights abuses and later served as Assistant Director of the African Unity Conference Center. Julia died in a car accident in 2004, and John survived but required lifelong care until his death in 2012.    

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #083, part 2 Leonard Leland Smalls was a Baptist minister who dedicated much of his life to prison ministry and community development. After military service and education at Virginia Union University, he was ordained in 1956 and became the first Black minister certified as a prison chaplain in Pennsylvania. He was active in civil rights, associated with figures like Martin Luther King Jr., and involved in political activism including a 1967 mayoral candidacy focused on consumer fraud issues.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #083, part 1 Frances “Mom” Williams was a dedicated community leader and advocate for seniors and the disabled in Philadelphia. Despite an unsuccessful run for City Council in 1979, her influence extended through her family and her activism, leaving a lasting impact on her city and community.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #083 for February 1, 2026 for Black History Month   Frances “Mom” Williams was a dedicated community leader and activist in Philadelphia who campaigned for City Council in 1979 with a focus on seniors and neighborhood safety. Her son Hardy and Grandson Anthony became State Senators. This segment will be released as a separate podcast on February 2nd.   Rev. Leonard Leland Smalls became the first Black minister certified as a prison chaplain in Pennsylvania. Smalls associated with Martin Luther King Jr. and local activists, though he described himself as not nonviolent. Released as separate podcast on February 3rd.    Liberian native Julia Komai was a political activist who became an outspoken advocate for human rights and had been imprisoned before escaping to the United States. She died in a car crash, along with a former Vice President of her native land. Separate podcast on February 4th.    Mpozi Mshade Tolbert was deeply admired in two cities: in Philadelphia, he captured iconic images of the hip-hop scene, while in Indianapolis he became a beloved photojournalist and DJ, known for his genial spirit, generosity, and influence on the arts community. Separate podcast on February 5th.  

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #052 for mid-February 2026   Mary Scarpone Costanza was raised Roman Catholic. She claims she never met a Jew until she went to Temple University. After obtaining a degree in teaching, she developed an interest in art produced by victims of the Nazi Holocaust. It turned into her life work.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #082, part 5 In 18th- and 19th-century Pennsylvania, women played a central role in caring for the dying and the dead, performing tasks that combined practical, emotional, and ritual duties. Over time, the profession of undertaking evolved, becoming male-dominated and more specialized, reducing women’s involvement in death care. Early undertakers often apprenticed from trades like cabinetmaking, expanding into funeral services; Samuel Patch Frankenfield was a notable example who developed a family undertaking business.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #082, part 4 Script by Russell Dodge, narration by Joe Lex Thomas Hewson Bache co-founded CHOP, the first children’s hospital in the United States. He also served as a Major in the Medical Corps, where he was involved in the Gettysburg Campaign and remained with wounded soldiers even as a prisoner of war. Bache also served as curator of the Mütter Museum from 1866 to 1885 and oversaw significant acquisitions like the Joseph Hyrtl skull collection. He was also involved with the Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill stories #082 for January, 2026 Happy 200th Birthday! Daniel Pabst Daniel Pabst was a prominent 19th-century Philadelphia cabinetmaker known for his exceptional craftsmanship and distinctive designs, blending traditional Victorian styles with emerging artistic movements. His work served affluent clients and reflected evolving furniture styles from Renaissance revival to Modern Gothic. His work done with Frank Furness has been unsurpassed.   

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #082, Part 2 Happy 200th Birthday! Henry Hagert: Prosecuting Catto's Accused Killer Octavius Valentine Catto was a pioneering African American leader and activist in Philadelphia during the Reconstruction era, advocating for civil rights, voting rights, and racial integration. His assassination in 1871 during violent election-day riots marked a significant and tragic moment in Black American history. The prosecution of his alleged killer, Frank Kelly, was led by Henry S. Hagert, a distinguished Philadelphia lawyer and district attorney known for his meticulous legal skills.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #082 for January 2026 - Happy 200th Birthday!  Part 1 - Martha Coston: She Had a Certain Flare Martha Coston significantly advanced maritime communication by developing pyrotechnic signal flares that could be seen day and night, improving naval operations and safety at sea. Ships originally used signal flags and lanterns to communicate, but these were limited by visibility and weather conditions, especially at night. Martha received her first patent in 1859, initially in Benjamin’s name, and after extensive testing and negotiations, the U.S. Navy purchased her patent in 1861 during the Civil War. Coston flares were crucial for naval communication, identifying friend or foe, and aiding in rescue operations, remaining in use until marine radios emerged in the 1930s. Martha and her sons expanded the business internationally, supplying various navies and services, with family members continuing operations into the late 19th century. Martha Coston died in 1904, with her invention enduring for decades; she was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #082 for January 1, 2026 It's January! Time for our annual 200th Birthday Bash for people born in 1826. After Martha Coston was widowed at age 21, she used her husbands notes and reputation to invent airborne signal flares that saved hundreds of lives. Henry Hagert was assistant District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia when he prosecuted a man for the murder of Civil Rights Activist Octavius V. Catto. Daniel Pabst was the finest cabinetmaker in town and people waited years for him to create their household masterpieces, many of which are today in museums.  Dr. Thomas Hewson Bache was a co-founder of Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, curator at the Mutter Museum, and a battlefield surgeon at Gettysburg. He was also Benjamin Franklin's great-great-grandson. Military historian Russ Dodge researched this one. Samuel Frankenfield was a German immigrant carpenter who discovered there was money to be made as a coffin builder and successfully switched professions from carpenter to mortician.  All were born in 1826.