Historic Fair Hill’s mural tour preserves neighborhood Black history for future generations

A group of middle schoolers gathered in a clearing between the snow-covered headstones of Fair Hill Burial Ground Saturday for a Black History Month tour of the North Philadelphia neighborhood.

Carolyn Singleton, Historic Fair Hill’s history educator, guided the preteens on an afternoon walking tour highlighting murals around the grounds. 

“We’re here to introduce children to Black History Month — its relevance and how the lessons of yesterday can be applied to contemporary times,” Singleton said. 

The peaceful site is unassuming. Passersby might not expect such rich history behind the iron gates that surround the cemetery, tucked between 9th Street and Germantown Avenue. Some believed it was a pet cemetery before a 1995 restoration project cleared a decade’s worth of overgrowth to reveal the centuries-old Quaker burial ground, according to Historic Fair Hill. 

A number of Philadelphia’s best-known abolitionists, including Lucretia Mott, Harriet Forten Purvis, and Robert Purvis, were laid to rest in Fair Hill in the 19th century. While the land is no longer an active burial ground, Historic Fair Hill ensures it remains a fixture in the community, serving as “a neighborhood park, a peace-making green space, a community garden and gathering spot,” according to Historic Fair Hill’s “History of the Land.”

This hidden history, tucked away on one of Fairhill’s quiet blocks, is why Historic Fair Hill hosts guided tours, making the grounds a living history site while also serving a communal purpose. 

Marc Sonnenfeld lived in Fairhill as a child in the 1940s and 1950s. His father owned a business on Germantown Avenue. Now a member of Historic Fair Hill’s board of trustees, Sonnenfeld said he hopes this generation of Fairhill kids will discover the history right outside their doors. 

“We need to be able to tell our history and not forget our history. To pass it on to the next generation, that’s important,” Sonnenfeld said. 

With the recent removal of slavery exhibits from the President’s House historical site in Center City, Singleton explained how Fairhill’s historical murals stand as a reminder of Philadelphia’s rich Black history and roots in the abolition and civil rights movements. 

“Talking about the bad does not diminish the good,” Singleton said. 

The first mural Singleton highlighted, on Germantown Avenue between Indiana Avenue  and Stella Street, features figures who facilitated Philadelphia’s portion of the Underground Railroad, including William Still and Harriet Tubman, along with Mott and Purvis. 

It reads: “Look east to the Fair Hill Burial Ground where many who worked against slavery and for equal rights are buried.”

Singleton paused to let  the children share their thoughts and feelings about slavery, focusing on how issues from hundreds of years ago relate to issues of today. 

“I like to stress the importance of a strong Black community during the time of the abolition movement and the importance of partnering with people of different backgrounds,” said Singleton. “You can never do it by yourself.”

The next mural, at the intersection of Germantown Avenue and West Monmouth Street, creates a visual timeline of Philadelphia’s abolitionist and civil rights efforts. It features the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society and the Germantown Friends for the Emancipation of Slaves, along with portraits of Mott, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barbara Moffett of the American Friends Service Committee.

“Am I not a woman and a sister?,” the mural reads. “Am I not a man and a brother?”

The Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society was the first racially integrated, female-led political movement in the city and the nation, Singleton explained. Singleton also highlighted the importance of the allyship that grew from such organizations.

“During the Civil Rights Movement, again, the Black community was at the forefront, but they still had partners from other groups,” Singleton said.

Historic Fair Hill tour groups vary in age, but Singleton said it mattered that he Black history tour drew mainly school-age children. She tailored her presentation to provide context for the events depicted in the murals. She also provided context for the events depicted in the murals and invited them to share modern perspectives and connect the lessons to what they learn in school.

As the tour wound down, Singleton handed out booklets related to the history covered over the course of the tour. Back at Historic Fair Hill grounds, the kids played in the snow. 

“Because we have children here from different backgrounds, it’s important to recognize that we all have a contribution to the overall story, to the American story,” said Singleton. 

Historic Fair Hill will hold a Women’s History Tour on Saturday, March 14, from 1 to 2 p.m. Tours meet inside the Historic Fair Hill Grounds located at 2901 Germantown Ave.

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