New Philadelphia Archaeology Project

Christopher Fennell; Paul Shackel; Terrance Martin; Anna Agbe-Davies; University of Illinois

New Philadelphia Archaeology Project

Summary

New Philadelphia in Pike County, Illinois is situated between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. It is the first known town planned, platted and legally registered by an African American in the United States. In 1836, Frank McWorter subdivided 42 acres to form the town. He then used revenue from the sale of the lots to purchase freedom for other members of his family (Walker 1983). African Americans as well as those of European descent moved to New Philadelphia and created a multi–racial community. New

Philadelphia also serves as an important example of a farming community on the nation’s Midwestern frontier.

The town’s population peaked at about 160 people after the American Civil War, a size comparable to many Pike County communities today (King 2005). By the end of the century, however, racial and corporate politics of America’s gilded age tolled the death knell for the settlement. The new railroad line bypassed the town. Many of New Philadelphia’s residents moved away and, by the early twentieth century, only a few families remained.

Today, most of the original 42 acres have been returned to agricultural use, are planted in prairie grass, or lay fallow. Only a few scattered house foundations are visible in the fields. In the summer of 2002, Vibert White, then from the University of Illinois– Springfield (now with University of Central Florida), initiated a long–term research project to study and celebrate the history of New Philadelphia with the support of the New Philadelphia Association (NPA). The University of Maryland (UM) gathered census data, deeds, and tax records, as well as other primary and secondary sources.

A collaborative project between the UM, Illinois State Museum (ISM), University of Illinois (UI), and the NPA helped to initiate an archaeological pedestrian survey in 2002 and 2003 (Gwaltney 2004). Our initial archaeological survey work, along with Geographic Information System (GIS) overlays, identified several areas with discrete archeological deposits associated with known house lots (see below and Gwaltney 2004). This information along with the collection of census, deed, and tax information provided the research team with clues about the general settlement of the site. Fieldwork and analysis continued for several years. The results of the archaeological and historical analysis of New Philadelphia, Illinois, is presented in the documents and other information included in this tDAR project.