You are now viewing one of the most unusual structures in Beaver Cemetery, the Leaf Mausoleum. Interred here are Colonel James P. Leaf, who died in 1949 at the age of 83, and Nellie N. Leaf his wife, who died in 1950 at the age of 82.
The Mausoleum was constructed in 1949 by Frank Polrio of Beaver Falls, using cemented stones. We have been unable to verify the often-repeated claim that the edifice contains a stone from each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. To the casual observer, the stones look like the typical boulders you can find anywhere in Beaver by digging a few inches below the surface. But perhaps the claim is true and, if so, it enhances the uniqueness of this rustic structure.
The entrance into the Mausoleum is a swing-away stone slab and there are rough windows or portholes through which you can glimpse an antler trophy hanging above the twin vaults.
James Pinney Leaf was born in Rochester in 1865. His mother was a member of the well-known Pinney family of that community, about whom we learned a few minutes ago. He attended Rochester Public School, Beaver High School and Ohio Normal University from which he graduated in 1888 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He later also attended Cornell University. We were able to develop only sketchy information about Leaf's military career; however, it appears that while still a student at Ohio Normal he joined the National Guard, serving as an officer and evidently remaining active in that organization until the advent of World War I. Despite the fact that he was over 50 years of age when the war commenced, he was called to active service and served during that conflict as major of the 52nd regiment engineers. He was very active following the war in veteran affairs, and many Beaver residents will recall that he played a prominent role in Memorial Day parades and other veteran activities.
James Leaf was three times elected to the Town Council of Rochester, also serving as Secretary of the town's Board of Trade. He served two terms as Beaver County Commissioner in the 1920's.
Leaf maintained a business office in Rochester as a Civil Engineer and was extremely active over a long period in all types of engineering projects in Beaver County, including bridge construction. He served as engineer for the municipal water works of a number of local communities and also as engineer for several coal and clay mining companies. Attesting to his prominence in engineering circles is the fact that he was elected President of the Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania. '
Bausman's History of Beaver County, published in 1904, contains an engineering plan of Major General Anthony Wayne's Legionville Camp, showing the entrenchments of the fortified camp still visable at that time. The plan was drawn by Colonel Leaf based upon a special, turn-of-the-century survey he made of the campsite.