Poquessing Trail of History

08/25/2026

Videos are ready for some of our programs and lectures this spring!

For our March event, "Revolutionary Medicine: Workshop on Medicinal Plants in Benjamin Rush’s Time", we heard a fascinating talk by Sara Ray, PhD, Senior Director of Interpretation and Engagement at the Mütter Museum, College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

Dr. Ray explained the state of medicine in the late 1700s - a strange and surprising story!

To find out why doctors used to practice bloodletting and other obsolete medical methods, check out the video here:

https://vimeo.com/1212027217

08/20/2026

Looking forward to cooler days and fall colors?

Mark your calendars for this event hosted by one of our partners, Byberry Friends Meeting!

FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL
Saturday, October 10
3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Byberry Quaker Meeting of Friends
3001 Byberry Road, Philadelphia

Enjoy a family-friendly afternoon of fall activities, including:
- Farmer's Market
- Arts and Crafts
- Mini-Horse
- History and Civic info
- Pumpkins!
- Bonfire

Follow Byberry Quaker Meeting of Friends to learn more.

08/12/2026

Our next program is already SOLD OUT! However, a waitlist is available at the link in bio.

The Poquessing Trail of History Neighborhood Jawnt takes visitors on a journey through the Byberry neighborhood's exceptionally rich history.

Explore Philadelphia's historic Far Northeast through grand riverfront estates, the birthplace of a Founding Father, and one of the region's oldest Quaker communities, discovering how this once-rural landscape helped shape the city's political, religious, and architectural heritage over more than three centuries. From elegant country estates to enduring places of worship and education, this tour reveals the people, landmarks, and stories that continue to define the area's remarkable legacy.

The tour is offered by our Director Jack McCarthy through Neighborhood Jawnts, a citywide tour series celebrating the culture, creativity, and small businesses that define Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. Each tour features a different neighborhood each week over a 20-week series.

Get on the waitlist and check out the other neighborhood tours at the link in bio.

08/04/2026

Our partner the Society to Preserve Philadelphia African American Assets is hosting a series of tours this month and through the fall through Neighborhood Jawnts.

The first one, which explores North Philadelphia's Jazz History, is already sold out!

Neighborhood Jawnts is a citywide tour series organized by the Philadelphia Visitor Center to celebrate the culture, creativity, and small businesses that define Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.

Check out the website below to find out about SPPAAA's next tour and one the Poquessing Trail of History is offering of Byberry later this month.

https://www.phlvisitorcenter.com/neighborhood-jawnts-tour-series

07/28/2026

People often ask us if we record our programs. We do!

A frequently requested program video is Stephen Fried's lecture on Benjamin Rush from this spring.

Benjamin Rush: Citizen Activist
A renowned physician, founding father, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Rush was one of Philadelphia’s leading citizens in the late 18th and early 19th century.

View the full lecture by award-winning writer Stephen Fried, author of Rush: Revolution, Madness & The Visionary Doctor Who Became A Founding Father.

Check out the video here:
https://vimeo.com/1212327281

07/22/2026

Did you hear us on the radio this morning?

WURD's Solomon Jones interviewed our partners at and the Byberry Quaker Meeting of Friends for an incredibly moving and in-depth story about the Byberry Township African American Burial Ground.

You can still listen to "Slavery and Pennsylvania Quakers: A Burial Ground Holds Untold Stories" at the link below.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0I2ICaTsS9O8snP0ybgofm

Let us know what you think!

07/17/2026

Byberry's own Benjamin Rush is featured in a new documentary series!

Check it out below and read more about Rush's birthplace in Northeast Philadelphia on our website:
https://preservationalliance.com/benjamin-rush-birthplace/

AMERICA 250 | Have you heard of Dr. Benjamin Rush? 🤔As an elected delegate to the Continental Congress, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, this lesser-known Founding Father also served as surgeon general of the Continental Army. With support from an NEH grant, the Rivendell Center produced a docuseries detailing Rush’s contribution to medicine and the founding of America. https://shorturl.at/ZDaVg

07/08/2026

Last week we celebrated the permanent protection of the Byberry Township African American Burial Ground.

Thanks to the tireless work of the late Deborah Hill Gary, founder of the Society to Preserve Philadelphia African American Assets (SPPAAA); the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia (PAGP), and many others, this sacred ground is now part of Benjamin Rush State Park.

Pictured here are Victoria Best (SPPAAA), Jack McCarthy (Poquessing Trail of History), Jacqueline Wiggins (SPPAAA) and Jennifer Robinson (PAGP), who continued to advocate for the Burial Ground's protection until it was achieved.

But we're not done yet! Now we are working together to design educational signage and a renovation of the Burial Ground.

Follow us or sign up for our newsletter to follow our progress.
https://form.fillout.com/t/gLyN6whWWHus

07/01/2026

Did you hear a trombone in Benjamin Rush Park this weekend?

Thank you to everyone who came out to honor the Byberry Township African American Burial Ground on Sunday.

The gorgeous day was the perfect setting for the Brent White Ensemble to lead us down the trail to the hidden historic cemetery.

The Society to Preserve Philadelphia African American Assets shared the history of the Burial Ground and poured libations for the ancestors.

The voice of vocalist LaTasha Morris soared over the sacred ground that is now permanently protected as part of Benjamin Rush State Park.

Read more about the history of the Burial Ground and follow us to see a video of. the event when it's ready!
https://preservationalliance.com/byberry-township-african-american-burial-ground/

06/27/2026

POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN!

Not Forgotten: Celebration of Byberry Township African American Burial Ground.
SUNDAY, June 28, 2026
1:00pm – 2:30pm
Benjamin Rush State Park

Join us for a historical presentation, performance of antebellum Philadelphia Black music, and a blessing ceremony to honor the Byberry Township African American Burial Ground, established by Byberry Friends Meeting in 1780 as a resting place for free Blacks and people of color.

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.

The preservation of the Burial Ground is thanks in large part to the tireless work of the Society to Preserve Philadelphia African American Assets. President Dr. Victoria Best and co-founder Jacqueline Wiggins will speak at the event.

Hope to see you there!