Has anyone visited Skip James’ grave in Bala Cynwyd?

Submitted by Republican_Wet_Dream t3_10mm5d9 in philadelphia

Skip James, one of the most iconic delta blues players is buried in the Westminster Cemetery.

I found myself there sort of at random after taking a new path off the Cynwyd trail.

I recognized the name and knew he was buried there but I had no idea where and the office was closed.

Has anyone here been to the grave and, if so, can you give a general idea where in the park it’s located?

Would any blues fans, history buffs, or graveyard ghouls like to meet up and go see it? If we walk from Manayunk, it’s a beautiful walk across the bridge.

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secondand3rd t1_j63scn3 wrote

Just a heads up, he’s buried in Merion Memorial Park which is right next to Bala Cynwyd middle school (I have not visited his grave). It is a much smaller cemetery than Westminster, and i believer it is predominantly African American. There is another historic musician buried there who composed the old state song of Virginia, and they one of those historic plaques in his honor.

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napsdufroid t1_j653iqs wrote

Have been there. TBH, his legacy is much more exciting than his grave. FYI if you didn't know, Bessie Smith is in Mt. Lawn Cemetery. Grave was unmarked for 30+ years until Janis Joplin paid for a tombstone. Also, while only blues-related, Sister Rosetta Tharpe is in Northwood Cemetery

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Republican_Wet_Dream OP t1_j6542i8 wrote

Thanks! and yeah, nothing compares to The actual music.

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napsdufroid t1_j654u06 wrote

For sure. Best description I ever heard of James' music was, "No matter what time you listen to it, it always feels like midnight."

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ImaginaryRoads t1_j63yxk2 wrote

I have not been there, no. Apparently, it's in the middle of the cemetery. You can try calling or emailing the cemetery and asking for directions, or section/row/grave number.

To find a grave by section / row / grave number: many cemeteries are split into sections, which hopefully have little signs near each area or are marked on a cemetery map, so you head for the section you're interested in. Next, start looking at the gravestones and (if they exist) the big "family name" markers in the center of family lots, or sometimes the tiny marker stones around the corners of a lot.

At this point, you're not really looking at the names; instead, look around the edges of the bottom of the stones, or around the back of the stones. What you'll often find (at least in many of the US cemeteries I've visited) is that maybe one in every 20 stones or so have little markings inscribed in an innocuous, easy-to-overlook place, something like 47-18-196 [sorry, I couldn't find any online images to explain what I mean here]. The first number is the section number, the second is the row, and the third is the plot or grave number. If the cemetery has them and you know enough to look for them, they really do make searching easier: you can tell when you're getting closer, and also when you're strayed entirely too far away.

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