The Poquessing Trail of History, a program of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, will present Not Forgotten: Celebration of Byberry African American Burial Ground on Sunday, June 28, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Benjamin Rush State Park, 15001 Roosevelt Blvd. Originally, the event was scheduled for Saturday, but was postponed due to rain.
There will be a historical presentation and performance of antebellum Philadelphia black music in tribute to the burial ground, established by Byberry Friends Meeting in 1780 as a resting place for area free blacks.
“The Burial Ground became neglected in the late 1800s and eventually the grave markers were lost when it was turned to farmland,” said Jacqueline Wiggins, secretary and co-founder of the Society to Preserve Philadelphia African American Assets
Dr. Victoria Best, acting president of SPPAAA, notes that, “without the dedication of community advocates like Deborah Hill Gary, it would have been lost forever.” Gary, who died in 2024, was the SPPAAA founder.
Both Wiggins and Best will speak on Sunday to share the story of the sacred site from the perspective of those who have been deeply involved in its preservation.
Local historians and preservationists began advocating to preserve and honor the Burial Ground in the 2010s. SPPAAA and the Preservation Alliance partnered in the early 2020s on developing restoration plans for the site and in 2024 it was incorporated into the Alliance’s Poquessing Trail of History project with SPPAAA’s support. In 2025, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources officially incorporated the Burial Ground into Benjamin Rush State Park, giving it permanent protection.
Brent White, Assistant Professor and Director of the Jazz Orchestra at Drexel University, will lead an ensemble performing the music of noted early 19th-century black composer and bandleader Francis Johnson.
“Francis Johnson performed for both black and white audiences in early Philadelphia,” said Jack McCarthy, historian and director of the Poquessing Trail of History project. “Brent White’s arrangements bring Johnson’s music alive for contemporary ears.”
Light refreshments will be served.
To register, visit https://preservationalliance.givecloud.co/product/0FE5F35/not-forgotten-celebration-of-byberry-african-american-burial-ground
For more information, go to PoquessingTrailofHistory.org. ••
