Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Historic Fair Hill Flip-It Sign
About Historic Fair Hill:
The mission of Historic Fair Hill, Inc. is to:
1) preserve our historic Quaker burial ground, and assure that its history and the ideals of the people interred there continue to speak to the world, and
2) act as a collaborative partner in the revitalization of the Fairhill community through school partnerships for literacy, greening, and community engagement events.
History
Fair Hill Burial Ground is located on Germantown Avenue, a street that was once a Lenape trade route. When Europeans colonized the area, it became a major thoroughfare between Philadelphia and the outlying rural areas.
In the 17th century, the English king laid claim to the land and gave it to William Penn. It was then granted to George Fox, the founder of Quakerism. Fox left the land to Quaker Friends in 1691 as a Meetinghouse, a burying ground, and a place for children of the town to play and grow a garden.
At that time, the area consisted of farmland and wooded area outside of the Philadelphia city limits. In 1703, the original Meeting House was built. In the years from then until the present, the land saw great change as the city grew around it.
The Quaker burial ground was used from 1703 until the 1960s. It was one of the first racially integrated cemeteries in Philadelphia. Amongst those buried are many prominent women’s rights activists and abolitionists from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Learn more about Historic Fair Hill, here.
Location:
2901 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19133