WHERE THE ANCESTORS SLUMBER: African American Cemeteries and Burial Sites in Philadelphia, 1681-1850
at Stenton
Saturday, February 21
1:00PM
Lecture by Douglas Mooney
BY THE MID-19TH CENTURY, MEMBERS OF PHILADELPHIA’S AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY HAD BEEN INTERRED IN A SERIES OF BURIAL GROUNDS, CHURCHYARDS, AND CEMETERIES SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CITY. HOWEVER, TODAY THE STORIES OF THESE ANCESTRAL GRAVE SITES HAVE OFTEN BEEN FORGOTTEN, AND IN MANY CASES THE BURIAL GROUNDS THEMSELVES NO LONGER EXIST OR HAVE BEEN MOVED TO NEW LOCATIONS. THIS PRESENTATION WILL DISCUSS THE COMPLEX TOPIC OF EARLY AFRICAN AMERICAN BURIAL GROUNDS AND CEMETERIES WITHIN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF PHILADELPHIA’S HISTORY, AND WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THESE SITES WERE LOCATED. IT WILL ALSO DISCUSS WHICH OF THOSE BURIAL GROUNDS ARE KNOWN OR ARE THOUGHT TO STILL SURVIVE, AND DESCRIBE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY AND PRESERVE EARLY HISTORICAL BLACK CEMETERIES IN THE CITY. PROGRAM IS FREE, RSVP REQUESTED. PLEASE CALL 215-329-7312 OR EMAIL PROGRAMS@STENTON.ORG
Douglas B. Mooney is a Senior Archaeologist with the URS Corporation (URS). He has twenty-five years experience in archaeology and cultural resources management. Since 1990 Mr. Mooney has been involved with or directed the archaeological investigation of more than a dozen historical cemeteries throughout the region, including a number of burial grounds associated with the African American community of Philadelphia – the First African Baptist Church Cemetery, Bethel Burying Ground at Weccacoe Playground, Stephen H. Gloucester grave site at Lombard Central Presbyterian Church, Washington Square Potter’s Field, and the Blockley Almshouse Cemetery.