The Queen Lane Apartments building was a 16-story public housing project from 1955 to 2011, and the Philadelphia Housing Authority wants to knock it down and put up rowhouses instead. But from 1775 to 1921, this was the site of a potter's field for Strangers, Negroes and Mulattoes. It is unclear exactly where the bodies were buried and archeologists are exploring the site. The housing authority has to wait until that is done, and says it will erect a real plaque on the site as part of the rowhouse project. There is a lot of controversy over what to do here. This information is from today's Philadelphia Inquirer, page B1, 8. The article says that with the exception of a potter's field at Washington Square, this may be the oldest African American cemetery in Philadelphia.
Publication date | Jun 24, 2018 |
Neighborhood |
The Queen Lane Apartments building was a 16-story public housing project from 1955 to 2011, and the Philadelphia Housing Authority wants to knock it down and put up rowhouses instead. But from 1775 to 1921, this was the site of a potter's field for Strangers, Negroes and Mulattoes. It is unclear exactly where the bodies were buried and archeologists are exploring the site. The housing authority has to wait until that is done, and says it will erect a real plaque on the site as part of the rowhouse project. There is a lot of controversy over what to do here. This information is from today's Philadelphia Inquirer, page B1, 8. The article says that with the exception of a potter's field at Washington Square, this may be the oldest African American cemetery in Philadelphia.