Death Carts
Clergymen Richard Allen and Absalom Jones organized their congregations and other free Africans who attended the sick and buried the dead during the raging yellow fever epidemic of 1793. Although misguided, the respected Dr. Benjamin Rush had encouraged their service under the belief that persons of African descent were immune to the deadly disease.
"...the difficulty of getting a corpse taken away was such that few were willing to do it... We then offered our services in the public papers, by advertising that we would remove the dead and procure nurses." (Richard Allen and Absalom Jones)
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Disasters • Religion & Religious Structures • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1793.
Location. 39° 57.032′ N, 75° 9′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in William Penn Annex East. It is at the intersection of Market Street and South Independence Mall West (6th Street), on the left when traveling west on Market Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Market St, Philadelphia PA 19106, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this
this page online
Other markers no longer nearby. The Executive Branch (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed); "I am free now" (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed).
More about this marker. The marker is highly reflective and difficult to photograph straight on.
Also see . . .
1. Yellow Fever Attacks Philadelphia, 1793. (Submitted on March 26, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Richard Allen and Absalom Jones (1915 article). (Submitted on March 26, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
3. Richard Allen, Absalom Jones, and the Early Black Church. (Submitted on March 26, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
4. About Absalom Jones [and Richard Allen]. (Submitted on March 26, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
5. Yellow Fever. (Submitted on March 26, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
6. The Great Fever: Epidemic in Philadelphia, 1793 (PBS American Experience). (Submitted on March 26, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,097 times since then and 91 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 26, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
