The oldest crypt in the Dunmore Cemetery, located on Block Four, holds the remains of Nathan Young Leet. Born in 1830 in Susquehanna County, as a young man Leet attended Yale College and later was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in medicine.
Following graduation, Leet returned to Susquehanna County and practiced medicine there until the Civil War. Leet served from 1862 to 1865 as an assistant surgeon with the Pennsylvania Drafted Militia and the 76th PA Infantry. By the end of the Civil War, he was promoted to full surgeon.
At war’s end, Leet settled in Scranton and formed a partnership with early Lackawanna Valley physician, Dr. Benjamin Throop. Drs. Throop and Leet specialized in diseases of the ears and eyes, but Leet’s skill as a surgeon and his ability to deal with traumatic injuries made his services highly sought after. From an office on Scranton’s Wyoming Avenue, Leet ministered to those of prominence, but was also sought out by laborers, miners and railway employees.
Over the course of Leet’s medical career, he held the office of Scranton Coroner from 1880 to 1884. He also served as Chief Surgeon at Moses Taylor Hospital from 1892-1901. He was a member and First Vice President of the National Association of Railway Surgeons, honorary member of the New York State Railway Surgeons Association, and Chief Surgeon of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railways
Citing “advance of years,” Dr. Leet resigned his position as Chief Surgeon of Moses Taylor Hospital in 1901. On December 6, 1902, Nathan Young Leet, M.D. died. The cause of death was heart failure exacerbated by the flu. At the time of his death, Dr. Leet was the oldest practicing physician in Scranton.
As stated previously, the Leet crypt is the oldest in the Dunmore Cemetery. It is a wonderful example of natural aging and structural change. The Leet crypt appears much different today than in earlier years. Built into the side of a hill, the crypt originally had three spires on top and an iron gate on the entrance.
With age and land changes, the façade of the crypt shifted, and the iron gate is no longer in existence. Evidence suggests that over the years the façade of the crypt was reinforced with the spires that originally adorned the top of the crypt. Due to the conservation efforts of the Dunmore Cemetery Association, the crypt was preserved and still stands.
