5th Street Freeze Out

As winter arrives and Mother Nature forces the closure of the burial ground, I find shelter at the church doing tours. Anyone who is acquainted with me knows that I am more of an outside cat and will find any excuse to leave the warmth of the inside and go to the graveyard.  In January, four of the founding fathers have birthdays, so I was able to find a good reason to wander over to 5^th and Arch Streets. Robert Morris was born on January 31^st and is buried behind the church. The other three are at the burial ground.

 Back on January 4^th, we had a small gathering for Dr. Rush’s birthday-a special thanks to all those who braved the cold that day to remember the great doctor. On Friday, January 20^th, the annual birthday bash for Franklin was held which included a parade and wreath laying ceremony. His actual birthday is January 17^th. The birthday of Joseph Hewes on January 23 seems to get lost in the shadow of his more famous colleagues. I do not forget Mr. Hewes and find my way over to his marker for a birthday visit. Happy birthday and thanks to these great men.

So as my co-workers and I count down the days til the burial ground is open again, I bone up on my church history. I must admit that it is interesting to get a chance to work in the church to tell stories and talk about people I don’t always get to when conducting tours at the graveyard. I also have gained a greater appreciation for the work my colleague Neil does as historian of the church. I am learning many things from the time we work together in the winter months. But I am always thinking about the burial ground and new ways of telling our stories and continuing to preserve our historic sites. 

When the burial ground reopens for the season on March 1, we will continue to present our Revolutionary Heroes tour as well as special events including a commemoration of the 200^th anniversary of the War of 1812 with a special tribute to Commodore Bainbridge, Bens’ Day on  April 18^th, Signers’ Day, a beer tour, and  the yellow fever tour.

You may have noticed that most of my blog titles are song titles or references to rock music. This particular blog title is a take on the Bruce Springsteen song “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.”  In February, our neighbors across the street at the National Constitution Center will feature Springsteen in a new exhibit.

Happy winter!

Hop