Christ Church in Philadelphia

SITE OVERVIEW

Christ Church was founded on this site in 1695, though the current building was constructed between 1727 and 1744. The steeple and bells were added in 1754. It is historically significant because its members included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, and other famous people from the American Revolution. It is also the first American Episcopal Church.

Christ Church is still active and privately owned. It is, however, a partner site of Independence National Historical Park, and you are welcome to stop in and look around, listen to a short history lecture given by a church member, and even attend a scheduled service. Afterwards you can walk three blocks to the Christ Church Burial Ground where you will find the grave of Benjamin Franklin. In total, seven signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried either at the cemetery or within the church itself.

Pulpit at Christ Church in Philadelphia

LOCATION

Christ Church: 20 North American Street (2^nd and Market streets)

Burial Ground: North 5^th and Arch streets.

OPERATING HOURS

Church (for visitors)

• Mondays through Saturdays: 11 AM to 5 PM
• Sunday: 9:45 AM to 11 AM and 11:30 AM to 5 PM
• Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Easter Sunday

Burial Ground

• March through November: Dailey from 11 AM to 5 PM
• December: Daily from 11 AM to 4 PM (weather permitting)
• Typically closed January and February, though it may be open if the weather is nice
• Closed Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day
• Closed during foul weather

Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to visit Christ Church’s Hours and Admission web page for the latest schedule.

Interior of Christ Church in Philadelphia

TICKETS AND FEES

There is a fee to enter both the church and the cemetery. Combo tickets are available. Guided tours of the cemetery are offered for an additional charge. For the latest prices, see the Hours and Admissions web page for Christ Church.

Entrance gate into the Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia

WHAT TO DO

CHRIST CHURCH

Interior of Christ Church in Philadelphia

During visiting hours there are church members on duty who give short lectures about the church and its history. There is no formal schedule, but on busy days the guide usually waits until a decent-size crowd has gathered, then rounds everybody up for the lecture.

Volunteer gives a lecture on the history of Philadelphia’s Christ Church

Back in the old days, members of the church actually paid for their pews. The better the seat, the more it cost. The current pews were renovated in the 1880s, but the layout is the same. Plaques mark the pews of famous owners.

Location of George Washington’s pew at Christ Church in Philadelphia

The most important members of the church are actually buried in the church. Grave markers on the floor indicate their location. The very popular Bishop William White is buried on the chancel. You will also find the graves of Declaration of Independence signers Robert Morris and James Wilson (also a Constitution signer), and U. S. Constitution signers Pierce Butler from South Carolina and Jacob Broom from Delaware.

Grave of Bishop William White is on the chancel floor of Christ Church in Philadelphia

There are also many anonymous people buried under the church. The first two Christ Church buildings were much smaller, and the surrounding area was used as a cemetery. The new, larger building needed so much space that not only was the original church site covered over, but so was the cemetery (at the time there was no belief that the dead lost their dignity by no longer having their graves marked with a tombstone). Only those who were purposely buried in the church have grave markers.

Grave markers in the floor of Christ Church in Philadelphia

CHRIST CHURCH BURIAL GROUND

Graves at the Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia

There are over 6,000 people buried at the Christ Church Burial Ground, but only around 1,400 still have grave markers. While there are records of who was buried, there is no longer any way to identify the plots of those without tombstones. In fact, many of the existing tombstones no longer have inscriptions on them due to erosion, so nobody knows who lies below many of the marked graves either.

The main draw to the cemetery is the grave of Benjamin Franklin, though there are four other signers of the Declaration of Independence buried here: Joseph Hawes, Francis Hopkinson, George Ross, and Benjamin Rush. Graves of the signers are marked with 13-star U. S. flags and commemorative plaques.

Grave of Declaration of Independence signer Benjamin Rush in the Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia

There used to be a solid wall around the entire cemetery, but in 1858 Franklin’s descendants asked that the wall be removed at his grave so people could have a look at any time. The wall was removed and a fence was put up. It’s tradition to toss a penny on his grave, which stems from his famous quote, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

Visitor places a penny on the grave of Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia’s Christ Church Burial Ground

If you really want to learn about the Christ Church Burial Ground, be sure to take one of the guided tours. I learned all sorts of neat stuff about not only this cemetery, but cemeteries in general. For example, you’ll see some tombstones half buried in the ground. These aren’t mini tombstones, just ones that have been covered up as the result of shifting dirt and erosion over the years. While there is no longer an inscription on the part of the tombstone that is above the ground, the inscription below ground has been perfectly preserved. Some of the tombstones have been dug up, but many are still buried. The reason is because the church cannot find any living relative who will give permission to disturb the tombstone, either because there aren’t any or because they don’t even know who is buried in the grave due to the eroded portion of the tombstone.

One of many half-buried tombstone in Philadelphia’s Christ Church Burial Ground

Another point of interest concerns the family burial vaults near the 5^th Street gate. These were installed in the early 1800s and extend over thirty feet into the ground. Coffins of family members were placed on shelves on either side of the vault. Over the years many of these shelves have collapsed, resulting in a pile of broken coffins and bones on the vault floor.

Family burial vaults from the early 1800s in Philadelphia’s Christ Church Burial Ground

In 1864, realizing that the inscriptions on many of the tombstones were fading fast, the warden of Christ Church, Edward Clark, wrote down what could still be read. Today, the church has placed blue plaques with the original inscriptions at the graves recorded by Clark.

Inscription on a tombstone in Philadelphia’s Christ Church Burial Ground that was saved by Edward Clark in 1864

Aside from the nifty tidbits about the cemetery, the guide will get you around to all of the important graves so that you don’t miss anything. If you are on your own, you can purchase a map at the entrance gate.

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Allow 30 minutes for your visit to Christ Church. As for the cemetery, all depends on your interest in old graves and whether or not you take a tour. My tour lasted 45 minutes.

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