Slate Hill Cemetery
Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Updated: July 25, 2023
General Information about the pages on this web site:
This web site contains eleven pages about the history and genealogy of the Oliver Anderson, Archibald McCullough, and William McCune Families from Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Oliver Anderson and William McCune Families are from an area known as the "Corner" located in Montgomery Township five miles southwest of Mercersburg, Pa. Archibald McCullough family is from the area known as the "Little Cove" in Warren Township near the village of Sylvan. Some members in the Archibald McCullough family spell their name as McCulloh.
Other prominent families on this web site are Clark, Dick, Folk, Phelps, & Humphreys which are all connected to the Oliver Anderson family and from Franklin County area.
Information about the Slate Hill Graveyard where Oliver Anderson and David Humphrey, Sr. are buried is included on this web site.
Information on this web site was collected from many sources and also includes much of the information from a book written by Mrs. Elizabeth Brubaker Wolff who was the compiler and author of the book titled "Early History and Genealogy of the Anderson-McCullough-McCune Families and Related Lines of Franklin County, Pa". Other prominent families in her book are Clark, Dick, Folk, Phelps, & Humphrey which are all connected to the Oliver Anderson family. The Wolff book includes data that was compiled up to the late 1950's and was distributed in 1963. Elizabeth also wrote a sketch named "Looking Backward" of the time she lived as a young person in the area known as the "Corner" located 5 miles southwest of Mercersburg, Montgomery Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. It describes her memories and events of places and people living there in the late 1800's. Many of the ancestors in this genealogy once lived in this area of Pennsylvania. The sketch is also included on this web site.
The four family links below are the basic families to access their separate pages. Most pages also contain additional links to the other pages and to other sites with related family documents, pictures, and genealogy information. Information is sometimes presented as photographs and pdf files usually at bottom of pages.
WARNING : The material on these web pages may be freely used for personal research, knowledge, and enjoyment. The material on these web pages may NOT be sold or used for profit. The material on these web pages also may NOT be copied and/or added to any internet platforms or media without prior approval.
Related Lines on this Web Site:
Anderson Family Oliver Anderson (1742 - 1810)
McCullough/McCulloh Family Archibald McCullough
McCune Family William McCune (Abt 1712 - 1782)
Humphrey Family David Humphrey, Sr (1720 - 1795)
Slate Hill graveyard:
The Slate Hill graveyard is located in Montgomery Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
For upward of 100 years burials had been made in the plot. Today there are but few gravestones with inscriptions but there are many native stones scattered about.
The gravel lane to the cemetery is several miles east of Mercersburg, on the east side of Pennsylvania Route 16. The American Flag and the large monument can be seen from the highway
This cemetery was desecrated by men on a bulldozer back in April 1983. A neighbor observed this destruction where the gravestones were plowed down and run over to break them in pieces. Sadly, the neighbor did not know any descendants of the people buried in the cemetery and was legally limited to actions to stop the desecration. However this neighbor was able to stop the total destruction of the cemetery. The farm adjacent to this cemetery is known as the Heister Farm. The owner of this farm currently tills the soil all around this cemetery and was the owner when the desecration took place. Since the desecration, visitors must walk through planted crops to reach the cemetery. The name of the owner of this farm along with photographs of deeds, indentures, surveys, maps, other historical and government documents, and newspaper articles about this cemetery are on the Slate Hill Cemetery (History) webpage.
A number of years ago (1940's) a marker was placed for two revolutionary soldiers, Oliver Anderson and David Humphrey, his father‑in‑law. Chester A. Anderson, Archibald O. Anderson, both of Upton; Mrs. Roy Stouffer, Williamson; Mrs. D. Singer Geiser and Mrs. Charles E. Wolff, both of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, were responsible for the erection of the marker. All were great-grandchildren of Oliver Anderson. The picture of the marker located at left was taken November 10, 2001. The marker was repaired several times over the years by descendants of Oliver Anderson. On August 24, 2004, Rollie and Ray Anderson, great-great-grandsons of Oliver Anderson, placed a new concrete top on the Marker to prevent further damage from freezing water. The photo of the marker at right was taken August 25, 2004.
Two Plaques are embedded in the Monument listing information on the two Revolutionary soldiers
Plaque embedded in the Monument listing information on Oliver Anderson
Plaque embedded in the Monument listing information on David Humphrys
Another small marker is located nearby in the cemetery with the words:
-Slate Hill-
Associate Congregation Church & Cemetery Site
Built by Scotch-Irish Settlers in Early 1700's
As Church of Scotland Seceders.
Merged with United Presbyterian in 1800's
Beneath this field lie the remains of
many early pioneers
Lane from cemetery (Two Top Mountain in background)
Monument with Two Top Mountain in distance
Adding concrete top to monument (Aug 2005)
Newspaper Article:
The following information was taken from a Franklin County newspaper article, date unknown:
MARKER ERECTED AT RESTING PLACE OF TWO SOLDIERS
Memorial Marks Montgomery Twp. Graves of Men Who Fought in Revolution
MERCERSBURG, April 30 - A Monument has been erected in the early graveyard on the Heister farm in Montgomery Township, to mark the resting place of two Revolutionary War soldiers, David Humphreys and his son-in-law, Oliver Anderson.
The monument is built of native stones, bearing on the east side two markers of marble with the following inscriptions: “Oliver Anderson, Pvt. 2 BN.’Pa. Mil. Rev.-War, 1810. David Humphreys, Pvt. Pa. Mil. Rev.-War, 1795.”
This monument was put up through the united interest of the following descendants of these men: Chester A. Anderson and A. O. Anderson of Montgomery Township, Mrs. Roy Stouffer of Williamson, Mrs. Charles Wolff and Mrs. ‘Singer' Geiser of Waynesboro.
When General Washington was hard pressed by Cornwallis, in his Position between Trenton and a bend of the Delaware, he outwitted the British commander, made a wide detour around his camp, won the battle of Princeton, and retired to a strong position at Morristown. The stratagem General Washington used, was to leave a group of picked men to keep the fires burning at his camp on the Delaware, and to continue the noise customary about the camp, so that the British soldiers would not suspect that all but a handful of men were hurrying towards Princeton.
One of these men, who piled on the wood, kept up the camp sounds, and successfully deceived the British was Oliver Anderson, Pvt., Second Battalion, Pennsylvania Militia. From one generation to another his story has been told, and his resting place known and treasured, although the early markings had disappeared.
Slate Hill Graveyard Interment List: (Compiled by Ray A. Anderson, January 31, 2022)
Oliver Anderson b. 1742, d. February 8, 1810 (husband of Elizabeth Marshall, Sarah Kyle, & Jean Humphrey)
Elizabeth Marshall (1st wife of Oliver Anderson, dau of William & Mary Marshall)
Sarah Kyle b. abt 1760, d. January 11, 1784 (2nd wife of Oliver Anderson)
Jean Humphrey b. 1763, d. Nov 26, 1839 (3rd wife of Oliver Anderson, dau of David Humphrey, Sr. & Jean Miller)
Agnes Anderson b. February 26, 1787, d. September 1850 (dau of Oliver Anderson & Jean Humphrey, wife of John Dodd)
John Dodd (husband of Agnes Anderson, son of James & Susanna Dodd)
John Anderson b. December 8, 1783, d. July 30, 1850 (son of Oliver Anderson and Sarah Kyle)
David Humphrey Sr. b. October 20 1720, d. 1795 (husband of Jean Miller)
Jean Miller b. abt 1725, d. bef 1790 (wife of David Humphrey, Sr.)
Henry Anderson d. 1778 (brother of Oliver Anderson, husband of Ann Marshall)
Ann Marshall d. 1797 (wife of Henry Anderson)
Elizabeth Matilda Anderson b. August 16, 1835, d. July 8, 1840 (dau of Samuel Anderson and Eleanor McCullough)
Ann Rebecca Anderson b. October 10, 1838, d. June 27, 1840 (dau of Samuel Anderson and Eleanor McCullough)
Robert Thompson d. Sept 19, 1824 (in 62nd year)
William Thompson d. August 1, 1831 (in 44th year)
John Thompson d. March 18, 1824 (aged 53 years)
Moses Costor (U. S. C. T.) - marker lying flat and covered with dirt
William McCune, Sr. b. abt 1712, d. May 1782
Samuel McCune b. abt 1743, d. 1813 (husband of Jean Scott)
Jean Scott b. abt 1748, d. June 1814 (wife of Samuel McCune)
Thomas Johnston b. 1750, d. 1828 (removed to Fairview Cemetery in Mercersburg)
Mary Johnston d. January 28, 1804, (aged 75 years, wife of Thomas Johnson – removed to Fairiew Cemetery in Mercersburg)
Source Information:
1. Elizabeth Wolff Book “Early History and Genealogy of the Anderson-McCullough-McCune Families and Related Lines of Franklin County, Pa.”
2. Estate documents provided by Oliver Anderson descendants
3. Appendix IV to Conococheague Dessenting Presbyterian History, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
4. L. Dean Calimer, “Slate Hill Graveyard”, 29 April, 1994
5. Virginia Shannon Book “American Revolutionary War Soldiers of Franklin County Pennsylvania”, page 295
Contact Information: New information, corrections, and updates to this Genealogy and Web Site are welcome. If you have any information or questions please send email to: andersonmccullohmccunefcpa@gmail.com.
Related Web Site: (Anderson Mill, Hays Fording Double Arch Stone Bridge, the Witherspoon "Red" Covered Bridge, Irwinton Historic District and the Hays Bridge Historic District )
Web site Irwinton Mill (aka Anderson Mill) contains information and pictures of Irwinton Mill (aka Anderson Mill), the nearby Hays Fording Double Arch Stone Bridge, the Witherspoon "Red" Covered Bridge, working model of a northern grist mill and a working model of a southern grist mill. Site also contain information about the Irwinton Historic District and the Hays Bridge Historic District taken with permission from two National Register of Historic Places Registration Forms Information is generally about an area on or near Anderson Road and the Conococheague Creek in Montgomery Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
Related Pages and Web Sites:
Home Page (Anderson-McCullough-McCune Genealogy)
Archibald McCullough Family (aka McCulloh)
David Humphrey, Sr. Family (1720 - 1795)
Oliver Anderson Family 1742 -1810