Highlighting the rich history of the Byberry neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia by activating four historic sites along or near the Poquessing Creek Trail through public programs and historic restoration and interpretation.
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ABOUT THE POQUESSING TRAIL OF HISTORY
The Poquessing Trail of History is an initiative of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia in partnership with local community and heritage groups as well as state and city agencies. The goal of the project is to foster awareness and appreciation of the rich history of the Byberry area of Northeast Philadelphia and to highlight the stories of the diverse peoples who inhabited the region from the pre-colonial era through the mid-19th century. The project will accomplish this by activating four historic sites along or near the Poquessing Creek Trail, a public nature trail that follows the course of the creek through state and city land in Byberry, and engaging stakeholders in documenting and sharing their stories with the broader community.
The sites include:
- An interpretive representation of the c. 1690 Benjamin Rush birthplace house, which stood in Byberry until it was demolished in 1969.
- A memorial to the area’s original inhabitants, the Lenape.
- Byberry Township African American Burial Ground, established in 1780 by Byberry Friends Meeting as a resting place for area free Blacks and people of color.
- Byberry Hall, built in 1847 by noted Black abolitionist Robert Purvis and area Quakers to host discussions of anti-slavery and other social issues.
PROJECT STAFF
Jack McCarthy, Project Director jmccarthy@preservationalliance.com
Aislinn Pentecost-Farren, Project Coordinator afarren@preservationalliance.com
Jennifer Robinson, Project Supervisor jrobinson@preservationalliance.com
PROJECT SPONSOR AND FUNDERS
The Poquessing Trail of History is an initiative of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia supported by grants from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage and the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial.
PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS
Friends of Northeast Philadelphia History • Byberry Friends Meeting • Society for the Preservation of Philadelphia African American Assets • Friends of Poquessing Watershed • Delaware Tribe of Indians • Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of State Parks • Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
