The tangled plot behind Mount Vernon Cemetery's sale

There's a " once-in-a-lifetime " opportunity on the Philadelphia market : All you have to do is knock on death's door.

Why it matters: Mount Vernon Cemetery, a neglected yet historic North Philadelphia burial ground to an estimated 33,000 souls, is up for sale — a big step in a yearslong legal battle over its future that has some preservationists hopeful for the site's possible revival.

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Driving the news: A couple weeks ago, the cemetery's conservator, Philadelphia Community Development Coalition (PCDC), quietly listed the 168-year-old graveyard's more than 26 acres for sale — with permission from a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge.

• For $1 million, a potential buyer could own a "piece of Philadelphia's rich history," the listing says.

The big picture: The sprawling grounds at the intersection of Ridge and W. Lehigh Avenues are the final resting place of Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers, beer barons and even actress Drew Barrymore 's ancestors.

• But the site had fallen into disrepair under its owner, the court found, with burial plots and parts of the cemetery swallowed by overgrown weeds and vines.

A gravesite hidden behind overgrown weeds. Screenshot: Philadelphia Common Pleas Court

Catch up quick: For three years, a group of preservationists and volunteers from Mount Vernon Cemetery Conservation Company tried convincing cemetery owner Joseph Dinsmore Murphy, a Washington D.C. attorney, to voluntarily surrender the property.

• But negotiations failed at the 11th hour, compelling the group to go to court to wrest control of the burial grounds.
• Murphy didn't return Axios' request for comment.
• "My experience in preservation in Philadelphia is that it's largely a story of impossible properties owned by impossible people," says Thaddeus Squire, a board member of the conservation group.

In May 2020, the group sought to have the nonprofit Philadelphia Community Development Coalition appointed as conservator of the cemetery under a state law dealing with abandoned and blighted properties.

• The petition argued Murphy allowed the cemetery to fall into a "state of disrepair bordering on destruction," per court records obtained by Axios.
• A year later, a judge granted the conservatorship and ordered the group to develop a comprehensive plan to rehabilitate the site, which was once assessed for more than $10 million and owes at least $340,000 in back taxes, per city records.

The latest: The sale is the next step in the court saga.

• But there's one big caveat: The property cannot be redeveloped, Squire and a real estate agent tell Axios.

Because of that, and the million-dollar asking price, preservationists don't expect Mount Vernon will fetch interest on the market.

• The cemetery must be listed for at least a month before it can be legally transferred to the Mount Vernon Cemetery Conservation Company (MVCCC), the group of stewards waiting in the wings.

What they're saying: Michael McIlhinney, PCDC's attorney, tells Axios in a statement they have a "legal obligation to transition ownership responsibly" under state law, and a possible sale "needs to be explored as part of our duty to the estate."

The intrigue: Real estate agent Hilary Lefkowitz-Karaman tells Axios that she's connected with potential in- and out-of-state buyers intrigued by the cemetery's historic appeal, though no deal is imminent.

• If a buyer wants to purchase the property, they must be vetted and the deal must be approved by the court.

Mount Vernon's historic gatehouse, as depicted in a contemporary stereograph. Screenshot: Philadelphia Common Pleas Court

Between the lines: The grounds have seen improvements in recent years. Since switching to a conservatorship, PCDC has spent more than $200,000 cleaning up the site, including:

• Reconstructing a gatehouse designed by famed architect John Notman.
• Removing fallen trees and dense, jungle-like flora.

What's ahead: Squire tells Axios his group is trying to secure about $300,000 through grants and pledges so it can assure care for the cemetery, and potentially create more green spaces, if it's later transferred to the MVCCC.

• "It's never been my aspiration to manage a cemetery," Squire says. "It's about getting this thing in a good position. What will it take to make this mess right?"