Double Welcome

I must admit that when I first came up with the Bens’ Day holiday, it was mostly just because it was a cool sounding name.

           Even moments before it began, I didn’t really know what it was going to be. I had a reason for the date and I planned special events, but it wasn’t until I climbed up onto my marble perch to welcome the (surprisingly large) crowd that I realized what I was celebrating. When I looked out into the sea of people, I noticed that I left my speech notes in my green book back at my desk. So I decided to just wing it and my passion for the Burial Ground took over. I spoke straight from my heart about the other 4,000 people not named Ben who we also need to remember. I choose the date to honor Franklin and Rush but in fact we were honoring the memory of all the people that the signers represented. Although we have quite a bit of famous people buried here, I believe that no one in this graveyard is more important than anyone else; it is my duty to be the voice of the mute and I gave names to the nameless stones. It is amazing to me how many stories and the information of those buried here have been lost or forgotten. Each week I learn something new about this beautiful marble orchard. I was so proud to tell my tombstone tales that day, including the story of how I recently unearthed a tombstone of the Mallice family that had been sunk in the dirt for over 150 years. It felt like we hit a grand slam on Bens’ Day. If nothing else, we sold a ton of Dr. Physick Soda .  But I felt I really connected with the people who may have not wandered beyond the marker of Ben Franklin.

            Each day, people are surprised when they find out that there is a charge to visit the Graveyard. But it is days like Bens’ Day when we proudly show off the great preservation work we do here at 5^th and Arch Streets.

– Hop

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Welcome & Ben's Day

As the cold and darkness of winter fades into forgotten memories, I sneeze several times and watch as the spring breathes new life and fresh beginnings into nature around me. I prop my mortal remains on my worn green chair inside the black gift cart and welcome the early morning tourists who seek to toss a coin onto Ben Franklin’s grave. The trees that surround me are happy to be alive, yet all I can think about is death. Death is my life and my life is good. I rarely smile on the outside, but inside I am grinning from ear to ear. How could I not be happy knowing that my chosen purpose in life is to be the crypt keeper for the Philadelphia graveyard that contains the remains of Ben Franklin and over 4,000 other people? Most of the tombstones that marked the grave sites of many American founders look like rows of broken and missing teeth in need of a dentist. Other than Franklin, others buried here are also famous and were important in the creation of the United States of America.

            For nine springs, I have welcomed the changing seasons and the 540,000 visitors who come to our sacred ground, but who is counting? As a caretaker and friend of this graveyard, it is my duty to preserve, respect and honor the memory of all those who lie in these two acres. It is our mission to care for and maintain the stones for future generations so that they come to see and learn from them. The way we remember and protect this site is to ask for a small admissions fee, offer guided tours, and to sell in our small gift cart anything with Ben Franklin’s face on it. I am so very proud of the work we do. We put every penny of the profits we make back into the grounds and the tours we give are presented by some of the most knowledgeable and respected tour guides in Philadelphia.

In honor of our new season, I have created a holiday called Bens’ Day. On Monday, April 18, 2011, we will celebrate our history and officially kick off the 2011 season. We choose April 18^th because it is the day between the death dates of two of our most famous Bens. Franklin died on April 17, 1790 and Dr. Benjamin Rush passed away on April 19, 1813. A small ceremony at Franklin’s grave is at 11 am followed by special events including costumed guides, prizes and samples of Dr. Physick soda. We will present our brand new tour Revolutionary Americans throughout the day. You will also get a chance to meet the Crypt Keeper. Yes, I will be standing by to answer questions and to talk about grave stones I recently unearthed. All that and Hop’s unique take on history. See you in the graveyard!!