Hadley Township near Barry in Pike County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
New Philadelphia
Hadley Township, Pike County, Illinois
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 5, 2026
1. New Philadelphia Marker
Surveyed and filed on September 16, 1836, New Philadelphia was the first town in the United States founded by an African American.
[Inset plat map reads]
Map of "Philadelphia" from the 1872 Atlas Map of Pike County, Illinois.
[Starting at Block 3, Site 4, where the pavilion is located, the following run clockwise around the townsite:]
★ You are here
Blacksmiths
Rev. C.S. Luce home and U.S. Post Office (1850)
George & Martin Kimbro (1885-1907)
Burdick House (present)
Louisa Clark McWorter house (1848-1883)
School house (1848-1874)
Spaulding Burdick, shoemaker (1846-1866)
D.A. Kittle store (1850)
National Register of Historic Places · National Historic Landmark · National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
Erected by NPS Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative, and the New Philadelphia Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is September 16, 1836.
Location. 39° 41.884′ N, 90° 57.676′ W. Marker is near Barry, Illinois, in
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Illinois River Valley. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: New Philadelphia and the Underground Railroad (here, next to this marker); New Philadelphia: The Town, The Community (here, next to this marker); New Philadelphia Town Site (here, next to this marker); New Philadelphia in the Civil War Era (here, next to this marker); Free Frank and Free Lucy McWorter (here, next to this marker); How Many People Lived in New Philadelphia? (here, next to this marker); The Burdick Families of New Philadelphia (here, next to this marker); The Archaeological Conservancy (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Barry.
Also see . . . New Philadelphia National Historic Site. (Submitted on June 12, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 5, 2026
2. New Philadelphia Marker
Right marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 12, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 12, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
