Friends Western Burial Ground
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Friends Western Burial Ground

Also known as Sassafras Street Burial Ground

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

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  • Get directions 16th Street and Race Street
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    Coordinates: 39.95633, -75.16695
  • This cemetery is marked as being historical or removed.
  • No longer accepting burials
  • Cemetery ID:

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Land for the cemetery was purchased in 1817. The cemetery originally took up the entire block between 16th & 17th Streets (on the east and west) and Race & Cherry Streets (on the north and south). In the mid 1880s burials were ended at the Western Burial Ground. In 1886 a school for the Friends Select was built on part of the block. In 1915-1916 construction of the Ben Franklin Parkway took a corner of the cemetery at 17th and Cherry. Remains were removed to the Friends Marshall Road Burial Ground in Upper Darby (at this time Marshall Rd BG was not officially part of the Southwestern BG). In 1922 rebuilding of the Friends Select School began. This necessitated removal of additional bodies as well as the reinternment of others on the site. According to available records most of the remains from Western (and Eastern) Burial Grounds were re-interred at Friends Marshall Road Burial Ground which eventually became part of the adjoining Friends Southwestern Burial Ground in Upper Darby, PA. Information indicates that some of the remains at Western Burial Ground are still located under the modern buildings and parking lot. Partial records for the Western BG are maintained at Swarthmore College. The Friends Southwestern Burial Ground maintains its own records as well as those of Friends Marshall Road.

Land for the cemetery was purchased in 1817. The cemetery originally took up the entire block between 16th & 17th Streets (on the east and west) and Race & Cherry Streets (on the north and south). In the mid 1880s burials were ended at the Western Burial Ground. In 1886 a school for the Friends Select was built on part of the block. In 1915-1916 construction of the Ben Franklin Parkway took a corner of the cemetery at 17th and Cherry. Remains were removed to the Friends Marshall Road Burial Ground in Upper Darby (at this time Marshall Rd BG was not officially part of the Southwestern BG). In 1922 rebuilding of the Friends Select School began. This necessitated removal of additional bodies as well as the reinternment of others on the site. According to available records most of the remains from Western (and Eastern) Burial Grounds were re-interred at Friends Marshall Road Burial Ground which eventually became part of the adjoining Friends Southwestern Burial Ground in Upper Darby, PA. Information indicates that some of the remains at Western Burial Ground are still located under the modern buildings and parking lot. Partial records for the Western BG are maintained at Swarthmore College. The Friends Southwestern Burial Ground maintains its own records as well as those of Friends Marshall Road.

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  • Added: 20 Jun 2003
  • Find a Grave Cemetery ID: 1965286