Christ Church Burial Ground
Ben Franklin's grave
The most notable and popular element of the Christ Church Burial grounds are Benjamin and Deborah Franklin's graves, which can be seen from the street through the grating. At Franklin's death some 20,000 Philadelphians followed his cortege to his grave here, as his death in 1790 severed the tie to Colonial Philadelphia. William Smith, Provost of the University of Pennsylvania and his old enemy, gave the eulogy in Christ Church, and the Comte de Mirabeau did the same before the French National Assembly in Paris. Franklin was as well loved by the French as by the Americans and as honored by them, too.
Also buried here are Benjamin Rush (1745-1813), the Father of American Medicine who was also a Declaration signer and Philip Syng Physick (1768-1837), Father of American Surgery. Three other Signers lie here: George Ross, Joseph Hewes, and Francis Hopkinson (1737-91) — a composer who also designed flags and currency.
To the west, just on the other side of 5th St. (which, in this part of the city, is also known as Independence Mall East) is the Free Quaker Meeting House
Historic District, North of Market Street
- Welcome to Historic, North of Market
- Market Street When It Was a Marketplace
- Christ Church
- Elfreth's Alley
- Fireman's Hall Museum
- Race Street Houses
- Cast-Iron buildings
- A stroll along Front Street
- Cuthbert Street
- Old World Piazza Off Cuthbert Street
- Betsy Ross House
- Friends Meeting House
- Loxley Court
- Wyndham Hotel
- National Museum of American Jewish History
- Old First Reformed Church
- Old St. George's
- St. Augustine's
- United States Mint
- Christ Church Burial Ground
- Free Quaker Meeting House
- Franklin Square
- View to Independence Hall
