Join me this year as we explore some well-known and lesser-known mostly historic sites in Philadelphia in a monthly program called “I’ve lived in Philadelphia Forever But Have Never Been To ______.”
“Forever” can mean a short time or many years, and maybe you have visited the site a long time ago, or never. We'll visit locations from the 18th Century to the present time every month throughout 2026. I welcome your suggestions of places you'd like to visit.
Last year we visited everywhere from City Hall to the Bok building. We started the new year with two 18th Century landmark homes in Society Hill, the Powel House and the Hill-Physick House, both properties of the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks. Next was the Free Library and their Rare Book Department and in May we had a very special visit to the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry’s Armory. In June we had a tour and chance to try some beverages at the Man Full of Trouble Tavern in Society Hill. In July we visited the Philadelphia City Archives to see the exhibit, Look Up: A.M. Calder and The Faces of City Hall.
Now in August we’re going to visit Historic Fair Hill.
The new Fairhill Meetinghouse at Germantown and Cambria was built in 1887 to replace the first meetinghouse from 1703, when the city grid reached Fairhill. Busy factories employed generations of immigrants who built great churches and saved money to move farther out.
In the 1960s and 70’s, the factories closed, and jobs moved away. As Black and Latinx people moved in, Whites moved out. Quakers moved away from Fairhill, and in 1985, the meetinghouse and the burial ground were sold. By the late 1980s, the burial ground had become neglected and overgrown.
Our guide will be Executive Director Kerry Roeder who will help us learn the Quaker history of the three hundred year old Burial Ground including some of its well-known residents such as abolitionist Robert Purvis and women’s rights activist, Lucretia Mott.
She will cover the neglect of the Burial Ground and cleanup efforts of the 20th Century, including its revival by community leaders starting in 1992, and how the land has been reclaimed and the neighborhood is being rebuilt. Here is a link to a brief history:
https://historicfairhill.com/about/our-story/
Thursday, August 20, from 2 to 3:30 pm
We'll meet at the entrance on Indiana Avenue.
The tour will begin with our being seated under the trees and then those who are able will have the option to walk around the carriageway and visit the graves.
Directions:
--If driving, go to 2901 Germantown, which is the corner of Germantown and Cambria Avenues. There should be plenty of parking on Cambria. Enter the gate on Cambria, about a halfway block from the intersection with Germantown. Walk across the burial ground to the other side, where there are seats.
If coming by public transportation, the Burial Ground is on the 23 bus line. It's also a short walk from Broad St. subway and North Broad SEPTA stations.
--a 23 bus from 11th and Market will depart at 1:22 pm, arriving about 1:44. FitC member Sally Harrison (also on the board of Fair Hill) will ride with others who are going. The 23 bus stop is on 11th on the northeast side of the intersection of 11th and Market. We'll get off the bus at Germantown and Indiana and walk half a block east to enter the area there, closest to the seats.
Accessibility: The carriageway is accessible by wheelchair, but can be a bit difficult to navigate. Comfortable shoes for the walking portion are highly recommended and if you would like to sit, a camping or folding chair is a good idea.
Cost: FitC members $6 ($5 donation to Historic Fair Hill and $1 for FitC administrative costs); non-FitC members and guests, $11, can register after July 22.
Number: Limited to 30 attendees
Please bring water and snacks if you care to, as there is no drinking water on site.
This is a rain or shine event.
Thanks to FitC Volunteer Organizer: Joan Wells
Questions about registration or cancellation? Contact mignon.adams@gmail.com
