Tollgate Cemetery

In the shadow of Forest Hills Cemetery lies a forgotten story, etched in the weathered stones of Tollgate Cemetery. Here, along Hyde Park Avenue near Walk Hill Road, rests a small, unassuming graveyard. Tollgate Cemetery stands as a quiet testament to a community often overlooked. Established around 1850, Tollgate Cemetery served a predominantly Catholic community, primarily Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine. This was a time when Catholics were excluded from city cemeteries. So, the Catholic church purchased this small plot of land to lay their community members to rest. Imagine those early days, the rumble of trains passing by the newly established cemetery, a constant reminder of the changing world outside. The nearby Forest Hills Cemetery, grand and sprawling, catered to the Protestant elite. Tollgate, in contrast, offered solace to a community facing prejudice and hardship. Some of those interred here even served in the Civil War, finding their final resting place amongst their own. The headstones, many worn and illegible now, whisper stories of Irish counties and German heritage. These markers reveal a diverse Catholic parish finding common ground in their faith. The cemetery was active for a relatively short period, from 1850 to 1897. After that, it was largely forgotten, its stories fading into the background as the neighborhood around it transformed. Tollgate Cemetery persists, a poignant reminder of a community’s resilience and the changing landscape of acceptance.