Christ Church Burial Ground in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

is an important early-American cemetery. It is the final resting place of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading int ...

and his wife,

Deborah According to the Book of Judges, Deborah ( he, דְּבוֹרָה, ''Dəḇōrā'', "bee") was a prophetess of the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Many scholars ...

. Four other signers of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

are buried here,

Benjamin Rush Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States who signed the United States Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social reformer, humanitarian, educa ...

Francis Hopkinson Francis Hopkinson (October 2,Hopkinson was born on September 21, 1737, according to the then-used Julian calendar (old style). In 1752, however, Great Britain and all its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar (new style) which moved Hopkinso ...

Joseph Hewes Joseph Hewes (July 9, 1730– November 10, 1779) was an American Founding Father, a signer of the Continental Association and U.S. Declaration of Independence, and a native of Princeton, New Jersey, where he was born in 1730. Hewes's parents wer ...

and George Ross. Two more signers (

James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada *James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...

and Robert Morris) are buried at Christ Church just a few blocks away. The cemetery belongs to Christ Church, the Episcopal church founded in 1695 and place of worship for many of the famous Revolutionary War participants, including

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

. The burial ground is located at 5th and Arch Streets, across from the Visitors Center and

National Constitution Center The National Constitution Center is a non-profit institution devoted to the Constitution of the United States. On Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the center is an interactive museum and a national town hall for constitutional dia ...

. The Burial Ground was started in 1719, and it is still an active cemetery. The Burial Ground is open to the public for a small fee, weather permitting; about 100,000 tourists visit each year. When the Burial Ground is closed, one can still view Benjamin Franklin's gravesite from the sidewalk at the corner of 5th and Arch through a set of iron rails. The bronze rails in the brick wall were added for public viewing in 1858 by parties working at the behest of the Franklin Institute, which assumed the responsibility of defending Franklin's historic ties to Philadelphia after prominent Bostonians criticized the city's maintenance of the grave and erected a Franklin statue there. Leaving

pennies A penny is a coin ( pennies) or a unit of currency (pl. pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. Presently, it is t ...

on Franklin's grave is an old Philadelphia tradition.

Burials

Other famous people buried at Christ Church Burial Ground include: * John Andrews, D.D., (1746-1813), 4th Provost of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

* Michael Woolston Ash (1789–1858), congressman *

Samuel John Atlee Samuel John Atlee (1739 – November 25, 1786) was an American soldier and statesman from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress for Pennsylvania from 1778 to 1782. Early life Samuel was born in Trenton, New Jer ...

(1739–1786), delegate to the Continental Congress *

Benjamin Franklin Bache Benjamin Franklin Bache (August 12, 1769 – September 10, 1798) was an American journalist, printer and publisher. He founded the ''Philadelphia Aurora'', a newspaper that supported Jeffersonian philosophy. He frequently attacked the Federalis ...

(1769–1798), grandson of Benjamin Franklin, printer and publisher of the ''Aurora'' newspaper *

Sarah Franklin Bache Sarah Franklin Bache (September 11, 1743 – October 5, 1808), sometimes known as Sally Bache, was the daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Read. She was a leader in relief work during the American Revolutionary War and frequently served as ...

(1743–1808), daughter of

*Commodore

William Bainbridge William Bainbridge (May 7, 1774July 27, 1833) was a Commodore in the United States Navy. During his long career in the young American Navy he served under six presidents beginning with John Adams and is notable for his many victories at sea. ...

(1774–1833), Naval hero of

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

, captain of " Old Ironsides" *

Francis Biddle Francis Beverley Biddle (May 9, 1886 – October 4, 1968) was an American lawyer and judge who was the United States Attorney General during World War II. He also served as the primary American judge during the postwar Nuremberg Trials as well a ...

(1886–1968),

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

James Biddle James Biddle (February 18, 1783 – October 1, 1848), of the Biddle family, brother of financier Nicholas Biddle and nephew of Capt. Nicholas Biddle, was an American commodore. His flagship was . Education and early career Biddle was born in P ...

(1783–1848), Commodore in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

* Thomas Bond (1713–1784), co-founder of

Pennsylvania Hospital Pennsylvania Hospital is a private, non-profit, 515-bed teaching hospital located in Center City Philadelphia and is part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Founded on May 11, 1751, by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond, Pennsyl ...

*Major General George Cadwalader (1806–1879), Civil War general * John Cadwalader (1805–1879), congressman and judge *

Matthew Clarkson Matthew Clarkson (October 17, 1758 – April 25, 1825) was a colonial soldier and politician. Clarkson Street in Greenwich Village and the town of Clarkson in Western New York were both named after him. Early life Clarkson was born on October ...

(1733–1800),

mayor of Philadelphia The mayor of Philadelphia is the chief executive of the government of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The current mayor of Philadelphia is Jim Kenney. History The first mayor of Philadelphia, ...

Joseph Clay Joseph Clay (July 24, 1769August 27, 1811) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Joseph Clay was born in Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania. He was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Ei ...

(1769–1811), United States Congressman *

Tench Coxe Tench Coxe (May 22, 1755July 17, 1824) was an American political economist and a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress in 1788–1789. He wrote under the pseudonym "A Pennsylvanian," and was known to his political enemies as ...

(1755–1824), Continental Congressman *

William Henry Drayton William Henry Drayton (September 1742 – September 3, 1779) was an American Founding Father, planter, and lawyer from Charleston, South Carolina. He served as a delegate for South Carolina to the Continental Congress in 1778-79 and signed t ...

(1742-1799), Continental Congressman and a Signer of the

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 Colonies of the United States of America that served as its first frame of government. It was approved after much debate (between July 1776 and November 1777) by ...

John Dunlap John Dunlap (1747 – 27 November 1812) was an early American printer who emigrated from Ireland and who printed the first copies of the United States Declaration of Independence and was one of the most successful Irish/American printers of hi ...

(1747–1812), printer of the Declaration of Independence * Lewis Evans (c.1700–1756), cartographer and surveyor * Tench Francis, Jr. (1730-1800) * David Franks (1740–1793), aide-de-camp for General

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

during the American War of Independence * Samuel Hardy (1758–1785), Continental Congressman (Note: probably buried at St Paul's Cemetery in NYC. See Bio) * Michael Hillegas (1729–1804), first

Treasurer of the United States The treasurer of the United States is an officer in the United States Department of the Treasury who serves as custodian and trustee of the federal government's collateral assets and the supervisor of the department's currency and coinage produc ...

Thomas Hopkinson Thomas Hopkinson (April 6, 1709 – November 5, 1751) was a lawyer, public official, and prominent figure in colonial Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Early life Thomas Hopkinson was born in London, on April 6, 1709, the son of Mary Hopkinson, and T ...

(1709–1751), father of

, president of the Philosophical Society, one of the founders of the Library Company * John Inskeep (1757–1834), mayor of Philadelphia *Major William Jackson (1759–1828), Revolutionary War officer, secretary of the Constitutional Convention *

Thomas Lawrence Sir Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was an innkeeper at ...

, five-time mayor of Philadelphia *Major General Charles Lee (1732-1782), a controversial Revolutionary War officer and second-highest ranking general after

from 1776 to 1778. *

Charles Mason Charles Mason (April 1728 Mason–Dixon line The Mason–Dixon line, also called the Mason and Dixon line or Mason's and Dixon's line, is a demarcation line separating four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia (part of Virginia ...

in 1763 *

George A. McCall George Archibald McCall (March 16, 1802 – February 25, 1868) was a United States Army officer who became a brigadier general and prisoner of war during the American Civil War. He was also a naturalist. Biography McCall was born in Philade ...

(1802–1868), United States Army brigadier general and prisoner of war during the American Civil War * William M. Meredith (1799–1873),

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

Philip Syng Physick Philip Syng Physick (July 7, 1768 – December 15, 1837) was an American physician and professor born in Philadelphia. Life and career Dr. Physick was born in Philadelphia on July 7, 1768, to Edmund and Abigail Syng Physick. Physick gradu ...

(1768–1837), known as the "Father of Modern Surgery" *

John Hare Powel John Hare Powel (April 22, 1786 – June 14, 1856) was an American agriculturist, politician, art collector and philanthropist from Pennsylvania. Early life and education He was born John Powel Hare in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the younges ...

(1786-1856), Pennsylvania State Senator and Agriculturalist *

Samuel Powel Samuel Powel (October 28, 1738 – September 29, 1793) was a colonial and post-revolutionary mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since Philadelphia's mayoral office had been abolished early in the revolutionary period, Powel was the last colonial ...

and his wife

Elizabeth Willing Powel Elizabeth Willing Powel (February 21, 1743 – January 17, 1830) was an American socialite and a prominent member of the Philadelphia upper class of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The daughter, later sister and then wife of mayors of P ...

* Henry C. Pratt (1761–1838) prominent Philadelphia businessman and builder of Lemon Hill House. *

Matthew Pratt Matthew Pratt (September 23, 1734 – January 9, 1805) was an American "Colonial Era" artist famous for his portraits of American men and women. He was born in Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania to goldsmith Henry Pratt, (1708–1748) and Re ...

(1734–1805) American "Colonial Era" portrait painter. *Col. Isaac Read (1739-1777) Virginia revolutionary and commander of the 1st Virginia Regiment, died of disease during the war. *

(1746–1813), signer of the

and founder of

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = Jo ...

, known as "The Father of American Psychiatry" * Annis Boudinot Stockton (1736–1801), poet * Philip Syng (1703–1789), silversmith, created the Syng inkstand, early co-founder of several organizations with Benjamin Franklin * Henry Tazewell (1753–1799), U.S. Senator *Commodore

Thomas Truxtun Thomas Truxtun (or Truxton) (February 17, 1755 – May 5, 1822) was an American naval officer after the Revolutionary War, when he served as a privateer, who rose to the rank of commodore in the late eighteenth century and later served in the Quas ...

, commander of the '' USS Constellation'' * William Tuckey (1708–1781), composer *

John Goddard Watmough John Goddard Watmough (December 6, 1793 – November 27, 1861) was an American politician who served as an Anti-Jacksonian member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district from 1831 to 1835. Watmough was b ...

(1793-1861), U.S. Congressman *

Charles Willing Charles Willing (May 18, 1710 – November 30, 1754) was a Philadelphia merchant, trader and politician; twice he served as Mayor of Philadelphia, from 1748 until 1749 and again in 1754. Early life Charles Willing was born in Bristol, Englan ...

, (1710–1754), three term Mayor of Philadelphia *Anne Willing Francis (1733-1812) wife of Tench Francis, Daughter of Charles Willing * File:Ben Rush Christ CH Burial G Philly.JPG, Benjamin Rush's grave. File:J Taylor Christ Church Burial Ground.JPG, The grave of John Taylor (right), a long-time grave digger at the cemetery. File:Edwin DeHaven headstone.jpg,

Edwin De Haven Edwin Jesse DeHaven (May 7, 1816May 1, 1865) was a United States Navy officer and explorer of the first half of the 19th century who was best known for his command of the First Grinnell expedition in 1850, which was directed to ascertain what had ...

headstone File:Bainbridge tombstone.jpg, Commodore Bainbridge's tombstone

References

External links

*
Official Map of Christ Church Burial Ground

Christ Church Burial Ground
at

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