In 1826, the parcel of land which now holds the Palumbo Recreation Center was James Ronaldson’s Cemetery. James Ronaldson was a prosperous businessman and one of the founders of the Franklin Institute. He had a novel idea to open a nonsectarian cemetery in the rural area of Moyamensing Township, which is now Bella Vista. At its prime, the cemetery housed approximately 14,000 permanent residents – remarkable for the size of the property. At the turn of the century and after 75 years of success, the cemetery began to show decline. The city decided to relocate the graves to a site in Somerton (NE Philadelphia). During the relocation, several Revolutionary War Soldiers were identified and moved to the grounds at Old Swedes Church in Queen Village. The graves of those soldiers can still be visited today.