Christ Church Burial Ground Research Paper

Hello, my name is Will Fox. Today I will be telling you a little about the Christ Church Burial Ground and the Christ Church. The Christ Church Burial Ground was established in the heart of Philadelphia in 1719, this was just 24 years after the Christ Church was built. The Burial Ground is the final resting place of many famous Americans such as Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Hewes, Francis Hopkinson, George Ross, and Dr. Benjamin Rush. Over 5,000 people rest in this famous graveyard, but only 1,400 graves still stand today. All of the others have been destroyed because of rot and erosion. This site is famous partly because Benjamin Franklin is buried here. A major event that happened here was that 20,000 people followed his cortege, and only 4,000 followed George Washington’s. During the fever epidemic, the burial ground was an important site because many victims were buried here. Another major event that happened here was the renovation in 2002 when they replaced 160 graves. …show more content…
This is because many famous Americans worshipped here including Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, Betsy Ross, Dr. Benjamin Rush, and George Washington. The church is also the first parish Church of England in Pennsylvania. The church has a colonial style structure mostly made of wood and brick. Today, it is still an active Anglican church. It is also an important site for learning about the lives of early Americans. The name originates from the Church of England.

The Christ Church Burial Ground is home to many legends and traditions. For example, a tradition is to throw pennies on Benjamin Franklin’s grave because of his famous quote, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” The pennies help keep the church up and running. Legend has it that the ghost of Benjamin Franklin still haunts the grounds and often throws the pennies back at people. There are also rumors that he steals pocket