You Don't Know Richard

As I was working on my latest blog, I heard the news that the Ben Franklin Post Office may be shut down. I was sad to hear that because I know it serves the many tourists who visit our city each day. I always use it because it is the closest post office to the church plus all mail sent from there gets hand stamped with B Free Franklin postmark. I am hoping that perhaps someone will step in and save it. 

© description below

It occurred to me that we have the first two Postmaster Generals buried at the Christ Church Burial Ground. In fact, their graves are right next to each other. Ben Franklin was the first Postmaster General and served for 15 months from 1775 until his son- in- law Richard Bache took over in 1776 and served until 1781. 

© description below

July 29, 2011 will be the 200th anniversary of the death of Richard Bache. One of the most frequently asked questions I get at the burial ground each day is “Who are Richard and Sarah Bache?” Because of the close proximity of the Bache grave to that of Ben and Deborah Franklin, it makes folks wonder who they are. 

Very few people are aware that Ben had a daughter named Sarah and that she married Richard Bache. I always tell people about Sarah and her involvement in the Ladies’ Association, one of the leading fundraising organizations of the Revolutionary War. Richard Bache, an immigrant merchant from England, moved to Philadelphia, met Sarah, fell in love and they were married at Christ Church on October 29th 1767. In addition to his service as Postmaster General, he served on the Board of War. 

Working here at the graveyard, it is safe to say that every day is someone’s birthday and death date. It is impossible for me to know about and acknowledge most of the dates for the over 4000 souls buried here, but I do the best I can. When I know about or am reminded of one of these anniversaries, I privately remember them with flowers or a small prayer or even a shout of Happy Birthday at their faded marble stone. 

So I just wanted to give a shout out to Richard Bache and remind people that he was much more than a name they can’t pronounce or even heard of.

- Hop

The image, _MG_5113-Benjamin Franklin’s Grave, was originally uploaded at Flickr by Elwyn who owns its copyright and can be contacted at the previous link. The image is posted here with that owner’s permission bybarneykin, administrator of “The Revolution ed” pool.(12)

The image Ben Franklin Post office, was orginally uploaded by blogger http://thekchorns.com/?s=ben+franklin&search=Search, who owns its copyright and can be contacted at the previous link.

Forever and Ever Amen

It’s weird when I run into people that I haven’t seen in a while and they ask me if I’m still working at the graveyard. I always seemed surprised by the question and answer “Of course, I never plan to leave.” I know many people believe that you shouldn’t stay in one place for too long or you become that place. I have always felt like I am a part of the burial ground and I don’t plan to quit my position any time soon. If I ever did leave the burial ground, I know that I would return at some point in the form of ashes and stay forever among my friends. 

As I reflect fondly on the past nine summers here, I am very proud of all the preservation work we have done-restoring the physical stones and ground as well as resurrecting the memories of all those whose names haven’t been spoken in over a hundred years. 

As I sit and write this on the black bench near Rush’s grave, I think of all the goals and plans I have for the burial ground in years to come. There are many stones that wait to be repaired and many plaques that need to be set in place, such as the marker for Charles Mason. I have plans to create new events and tours for next year including the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 and the continuation of the celebration of Ben’s Day and Signers’ Day. I also have the burial ground’s 300th birthday to plan for in 2019. 

So ole Hop plans to be shaking his keys around here until my work is complete. Each year we learn and discover new information about people and things in the burial ground and I can’t wait to see what we unearth next. I am very excited about what the future will tell us about the past, for years to come. 

-Hop

Treason in a Signature

Sitting at my desk in my apartment putting the final touches on my Signers’ Day speech, I can see and hear the distant fireworks celebrating Independence Week. I have grown too old to battle the crowds to hear the patriotic music they are playing near the Ben Franklin Bridge. I find some Springsteen on my IPod as I continue to write and watch the fireworks. I have never been completely wowed by fireworks but I must admit that the patriotic music does sometimes get to me. 

It seems hard to believe that we are celebrating our 7th annual Signers’ Day this year. I’m so proud of the holiday that we at Christ Church have developed to honor America and celebrate the lives of the seven signers of the Declaration of Independence buried on Christ Church grounds. The idea of this holiday was sparked by discussions between Neil and me about creating a day to honor Francis Hopkinson. We decided that it would only be fair to honor all 7 signers, thus began Signers’ Day. We needed to pick a date and even though I wanted to use August 2nd (the date most men signed), we decided to connect to Welcome America celebrations and present it the day before Independence Day. The staff at Christ Church would agree that Signers’ Day has not only become our signature event but also the most fun day for all. 

I feel it is our duty to teach visitors about the signers other than Ben Franklin. I find it interesting that on July 4th, 1788 Francis Hopkinson honored the country he helped create by organizing “a grand procession,” the largest parade (at that point) in American history, yet today he is virtually unknown. So happy Signers’ Day and thank you to Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Hewes, Francis Hopkinson, George Ross, Dr. Benjamin Rush, James Wilson and Robert Morris! 

- Hop