here.

PROTECTING AND PRE'ERVING
FOR GENERATION'
NEW PHILADELPHIA
By CharlotteKng
continueto advocateNew Philadelco-sponsors
phia'sinclusion
in the NP5.
Advocatesand supporters
of New Philadelphia, Amongitsstringentstandards,
the NPSmandates
lllinois,the first known town in the United States that,"The nationalparkrystemshouldpossess
vafounded,plattedand officiallyregistered
by an Af- riety,accepting
the supremein eachof the various
ricanAmerican,are dedicatedto preserveand pro- typesand subjectsof scenic,scientific,and historitect the siteas a unit of the NationalParkService,cal importance."Presently,
no unit of the NPSis
stewardsof the nation'selite naturaland cultural comparableto New Philadelphia.
None can tell
resources.
An act of Congressis requiredto autho- the story of an integratedcommunitywhere forrizethe Secretary
of the lnteriorto evaluatea site's merly enslavedand free-bornAfrican Americans
(NPS)status. lived alongsideEuropeanAmericansduring one
qualifications
for NationalParkService
The legislativeprocessto authorizea specialre- of the mostraciallyturbulenterasof our country's
sources
studyof New Philadelphia
beganin 2009 history.
with the introduction of The New Philadelphia,
lllinois StudyAct to the Senateby SenatorRoland THE STORYOF FRANI(MCWORTERAND
Burrisand co-sponsor
SenatorRichardDurbin.Con- N i W P H I L A D E L P H I A
gressmanAaron Schockpresentedidenticallegisla- New Philadelphia
wasfoundedin 1836by Free
tion to the Houseof Representatives.
After hiselec- FrankMcWorter.Bornenslavedin SouthCarolina,
tion, SenatorMark Kirk joined SenatorDurbin as McWorter purchasedfreedomfor himselfand fiflllinoislegislators
co-sponsor.
and their bi-partisanteen family membersand acquiredproperty in ll-
buildingfoundationsand the remainsof wellsand
throughhisown initiatives.McWorter earned suchassubstantial
linois,all accomplished
fundsby hiringhistime to other settlers,miningcavesfor crudeniter, pit cellars.
to black,white and mulattosettlers,
sellinglots in New Philadelphia
NATIONAL H I'TORIC5I6N I FICANCE
and other enterprises.
achiazednationalrecognitionfor historicalsignifiNer,vPhiladelphia
asa nodalpoint
New Philadelphia
HistorianJamesDavisdescribes
In
for regionalblackactivities.However,accordingto censusrecords,Af- cancein 2W5 W inclusionin the NationalReginerof HistoricPlaces.
New Philadelphia
a Nationof the lnteriordesignated
the minority of New Philadel- 20O9the Secretary
ricanAmericanshistoricallyrepresented
extraordinarynationalsignifial HistoricLandmark.NelruPhiladelphia's
phia'spopulation.The
integity,whichmayprovide
archaeological
canceisattributedto e<cellent
highest representation
lifewaysand economicand
about
the
information
nationally
significant
of African American
'1 l l llli !,1,1,11"t socialrelationships
o ti ,,* \l :\\r{:.
Americans
in a pioandEuropean
of AfricanAmericans
lriijr:
residents occurred in
i{r'
rti
s.];;,.;';;';
dataalsoholdthemajorpotentialto
Thesite'sarchaeological
neersetting.
l85O when 38 permethodsabout race,ethnicity,and acculturation.
affectresearch
cent of the town's resinationalhistoricsigNew Philadelphia's
The NPSfurtherrecognized
dentswere recordedas
"black." Accordingto
in 2013by inclusionin the NationalUndergroundRailroad
nificance
Network to FreedomProgram.Mc\Worterfamily and local residents'
Bureauof the Census
accountsand documentedoral historiesattestto the town's particirecords,the proportion
harboring,
pationin the movementto abolishslaveryby concealing,
of black and mulatto
guidingand, sometimes,
AfricanAmericansseeking
accompanying
in New Philaresidents
freedom.LocalhistorianCapt.M.D. Massiewrote in 1906that Pike
delphia far exceeded
of participationin
County residentsoften sufferedthe consequences
the entire state of llthe UndergroundRailroad:"Many honoredold citizenswere often
linois,which reported
they shelteredand fed runawaynegroes."
severelycensuredbecause
0.6 percentof the entire populationasblack
IA
A C T I V I TE
I 5A T N E W P HI L A D E L P H
CURRENT
in 1850.
propertyin New Philadelphia
that inIn 2005 the NPA purchased
Located near major
cludesan unoccupiedmid-twentiethcenturydwellingknown asthe
transportation routes,
BurdickHouse,situatedon a lot soldto VirgilBurdickin 1921.One of
New PhiladelphiabeBurdick,
familyancestor
Spaulding
New Philadelphia's
earliestsettlers,
came a regiona' cenacquiredthe southportion of Block4 Lot I from Frank
a shoemaker,
ter of activity. Area
Historicalkiosk at the New Philadelphiasite.
McWorterin 1846.The NPA recentlyexpandedits holdingsby purfarmerspatronizedthe
Courtesy office of lllinois StateSenator5am
chasingthe majority of Ihe 42 acretown site.ln 2009, the Archaeotown's craftsmenfor a McCann. 50th District.
to be the
purchased
9.14acresof landconsidered
logicalConservancy
products
and
varietyof
the
town's
commercial
center.
post
significant
section,
most
archaeologically
for
a
time,
a
school
and,
The
town
boasted
a
one-room
services.
kiosk
boundary
a
newly
constructed
Philadelphia's
north
the
At
New
for
success,
seemed
destined
Although
New
Philadelphia
office.
tell
with
interpretive
signs
to
greets
be
equipped
proposed
visitors
and
will
soon
the
when
tracks
for
for
the
town
in
1869,
knell
tolled
death
Hannibaland NaplesRailroadwere routedawayfrom the community. the story of the historictown and its founder.Kioskconstrudionwas
Cooperative(IREC)and
A few familiesremaineduntil the 1940s,but most moved elsewhere. fundedby a grantfrom the lllinoisRuralElectric
College
WorkforceTraining
Community
(History
the
local
John
Wood
lllinois)
built
by
of
Pike
County,
Charles
C.
Chapman
ln 1BB0historian
'At
grant
an
award
from the NPSNetpromise,
funds
complimented
great
Program.
IREC
but
time
it
had
wrote of New Philadelphia, one
installation
andto dwelop
for
marker
to
Freedom
hogram
street
has
work
passing
towns
spring
up,
it a mile distant,and other
the railroad
Aaron
Schockdeditour.
Congressman
interactive
site
forgotten.
a
smart-phone
Philadelphia
was
not
killed it." Althoughabandoned,New
lllinois
State
SenatorSam
3,2014
ceremony.
the
kiosk
at
a
June
the
New
Philadelphia
cated
plaque
from
the
1950s,
and
markedthe site
A
with several
D.
Davidsmeyen
along
C.
McCann,
State
Representative
(NPA)
Frank
McWorter
in
1996
to
commemorate
formed
Association
attended
the
ceremony.
many
area
residents,
local
dignitaries
and
other
and the town he founded.
Effortsare underwayto ensurepermanentcommemorationof the
through
storyof FrankMcWorterand New Philadelphia
inspirational
IA
ARCHAEOLOcYAT NEW PHI LADELPH
Park
preservation
as
unit
of
the
National
protection
of
the
site
a
and
only a
arevisibleat New Philadelphia;
Today,no originalstructures
(NPS).
NPS
status
would
furPhiladelphia's
In
addition,
New
usedisturbed Service
few buildingfoundationsremain.Althoughagricultural
to
naAfrican-Americans
our
the
contributions
of
the upper lB inchesof soil,the town siteretainsexcellentarchaeologi- ther acknowledge
percent
the
units
of
the
than
5
of
4Ol
fewer
tion's history.Currently,
cal integrity.
history.
with African-American
Archaeologicalinvestigationsat the site, conductedfrom 2OO4- NPSaredirectlyassociated
lllinois
Study
ActS.1328will be
of TheNew Philadelphia,
Founda- Progress
were sponsored
by NationalScience
2006 and 2OOB-2O'12,
Association's
website:newphiladelprogramgrants.The postedon the New Philadelphia
for Undergraduates
tion Research
Experience
New Philadelphia
collaborativeprgect includedthe Universityof Maryland,University phiail.org.As a unit of the NationalParkService,
lllinoisStateMuseum,Universityof will inspirecurrentand future generationswith themesimportantto
of lllinoisat Urbana-Champaign,
Associa-all Americans:the strugglefor freedomand opportunitywith an emlowa, Universityof North Carolina,and New Philadelphia
recoveredmorethan l5O,O00artifactsspanningthe phasison love for family.
tion. lnvestigators
floral and faunal
town's occupation,includingdomestic,architectural,
features, CharlotfeKing is a Director of the New PhiladelphiaAssociation.
are many intact subsurface
remains.Among the discoveries
)
I L U N O | 'A N T r Q U r r yV
, O L U M E4 9 , N U M B E R4