Join us for a fascinating tour of the 300-year-old Historic Fair Hill burial grounds, where many influential activists and abolitionists are buried, and tour several Mural Arts pieces designed to capture the history of this community. This program is co-sponsored by the TTN Philadelphia Chapter Advocates for Equity and Community Volunteering committees.
Historic Fair Hill (HFH) is a nonprofit, located in the Fair Hill section of North Philadelphia. Their work began 30 years ago, when a group of Quaker volunteers came together with neighbors to clean up an abandoned graveyard and begin the journey to create a community gathering place, an outdoor classroom, and an arboretum. Honoring the legacies of the activists buried here and those who restored it, Historic Fair Hill is committed to partnering with the Fair Hill community on social justice issues of today, promoting childhood literacy, reducing food insecurity, and generously sharing a peaceful green space with neighbors. The TTN annual book drive helps support the HFH childhood literacy program.
The tour will include two segments:
History with Kerry Roeder - Executive Director HFH
Learn about the history of the 300-year-old burial ground, which includes the graves of the founder of Quakerism, the President of the Underground Railroad, Seneca Falls Convention organizers, and countless other abolitionists and women’s rights activists. We’ll also cover the neglect and clean-up efforts of the 20th century, the community leaders of the 90s and 00s, and the evolution of today’s initiatives.
Murals tour with Carolyn Singleton - Historian HFH
The site is surrounded by six Mural Arts pieces that share the history of the community from 1688 through today. This part of the tour will focus on two murals titled “The Female Anti-Slavery Society” and “The Underground Railroad.” The lives of Harriet Forten Purvis, Henrietta Duterte, William Still, and Lucretia Mott will be shared, as well as discussion around the burning of Pennsylvania Hall, the Declaration of the Rights of Women, the intersectionality of activism, and how these stories connect to the present.
Transportation
The 23 bus stops at the corner of the burial grounds at Germantown Ave and Indiana street. Street parking is available.
Upon arrival: enter through the gates on Indiana street and wait near the Benches just inside of the gate.
Note: the event is rain or shine and involves walking, so please dress appropriately.