The cemetery on the campus of The Presbyterian Church of Deep Run is sacred and historical ground. It contains over 260 graves of church members. Some date back to the 1700s and some are the resting places of local historical figures.
A look across the cemetery shows many military markers and flags. There are sixty-seven graves of those who served in the armed forces. Cemetery records as of August 2024 show military graves as follows: three who fought in the French and Indian War, thirty-one who fought in the Revolutionary War, one in the Civil War, one in WWI, fifteen in WWII, eight in Korea and eleven in Vietnam. Three of these heroes served in two wars.
Major William Kennedy (1743-1783) is recognized as a “DAR patriot” for his service with the Bucks County Militia. He was laid to rest at Deep Run after succumbing to injuries suffered while apprehending one of the notorious group of brothers/thieves known as the “Doan Gang.” These brothers were British spies and loyalists.
The grave of Henry Bradford Darrah, aka Darroch, (1725-1782), is easily found by a new marker on his grave which is near his original marker and those of his other family members. According to “FindaGrave”, Darrah was a Revolutionary War Captain in the Jersey Campaign of 1776 which was led by George Washington.
The grave of the Rev. James Grier holds special meaning for members of the Presbyterian Church of Deep Run. According to church history, Rev. Grier studied theology under Dr. John Witherspoon, the only clergy to sign the Declaration of Independence. A book written by Horace M. Mann in 1950 states that Rev. Grier was the pastor of the “oldest stone church at Deep Run from 1776 to 1791.” He died one year later. When the new sanctuary was built at Deep Run, two centuries later in 1980, James Grier, a relative of the historic minister, donated funds to purchase the new pulpit.
Among the oldest grave markers is that of Alice Armstrong. She was the young daughter of Revolutionary War veteran Thomas Armstrong and his wife Sarah. Alice was buried here in (depending upon the source) 1747 or 1767. Many of the oldest graves in the cemetery are marked only by random field stones which were placed at the graves so loved ones could find their location in the future.
The cemetery was inactive and fell into disrepair at times throughout its history. In 1965 the cemetery was cleaned of fallen debris, and headstones were reset. Permission was granted to beloved and influential minister, the Reverend Doctor Paul Calvin Payne and his wife, to be buried at Deep Run when their times came. By 2000 the cemetery was reaching capacity. The Memorial Garden including a columbarium was built in 2003 along the north edge of the campus. It is a beautiful place for reflection and contains resting niches for church members and their immediate family members.