Francis Julius LeMoyne (September 4, 1798 – October 14, 1879) was a 19th-century American medical doctor and philanthropist from Washington, Pennsylvania. Responsible for creating the first crematory in the United States, he was also an abolitionist, founder of Washington's first public library (known as Citizen's Library), co-founder of the Washington Female Seminary, and an instrumental benefactor to the LeMoyne Normal and Commercial School (now LeMoyne-Owen College), to which he made a $20,000 (~$ in ) donation in 1870.

Early life

LeMoyne was the son of Nancy McCuly and John Julius LeMoyne. He graduated from Washington College (now Washington & Jefferson College) in 1815 and Jefferson Medical College in 1826 but first matriculated in 1821 as member of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's Class of 1825. He became a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society, gave public lectures beside his home and travelled to U.S. slave states to lecture also, and in 1841, 1844, and 1847 ran as a candidate with the Abolition party for the Governor of Pennsylvania. He may have been the Vice Presidential candidate on the Liberty Party ticket of 1840, under James G. Birney; the ticket garnered 4,000 votes nationwide.

Death

On October 14, 1879 Julius LeMoyne died of Heart Attack at Washington, Pennsylvania, United States at the age 81. His body was cremated at LeMoyne Crematory.

Crematory

Deducing that decomposing bodies in local cemeteries were contaminating the water supplies and making the citizens sick, Dr. Lemoyne set out to build the first crematory in the United States. The crematory was finished in 1876 on his own land, perched atop a location known locally as Gallow's Hill. The first cremation took place on December 6, 1876. In 1901, after 41 more cremations were performed (with Dr. LeMoyne being the third), the crematory was closed. Today, the structure can be found in the same location off of South Main Street.

Lemoyne House

The LeMoyne house, built by father John Julius LeMoyne in 1812, was a stop on the Underground Railroad. It was Pennsylvania's first of six National Historic Landmarks of the Underground Railroad to be registered. It still stands today at 49 East Maiden Street, near the campus of Washington & Jefferson College, where it has been converted into a museum. The house also serves as the center of the Washington County Historical Society.

Marriage and Descendants

LeMoyne married Madeleine Romaine Bureau. Their descendants include: In episode 2 of season 8 of the genealogy television show Who Do You Think You Are, a short biography is presented, and actress Julie Bowen is shown to be a direct descendant.