The Arch Street Project was born out of a salvage archaeology project at the site of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia's burial ground. Philadelphians thought the cemetery had been moved to Mount Moriah Cemetery in 1860. Over the years, the site was a hat factory, a car repair shop, and a parking lot. In 2016, during a construction project, human remains were uncovered. It quickly became apparent that the majority of individuals were not relocated during the 1860 move. Many remains were rescued from the property between February 20 - March 13, 2017. Some further remains were discovered in the summer of 2017 and removed by professional archaeologists. This website documents the excavation and lab analysis of the remains and the history of the site, its attempted move, and the people buried there. The goal is to inform the public and to give a voice to the people buried at 218 Arch Street. All human remains removed from 218 Arch Street will be reburied in September 2023 at Mt. Moriah cemetery, the location to which they were meant to be moved in 1860.
On this site you will find updates as the project progresses, and resources related to this project, archaeology, and human remains analysis.