Project Links
New Philadelphia Special Resource Study
Midwest Regional Office » New Philadelphia Special Resource Study » Document List
New Philadelphia, located near Barry Illinois, is the first town known to be platted and officially registered by an African American. New Philadelphia was founded in 1836 by Frank McWhorter, an enslaved man from Kentucky who bought his freedom and the freedom of 15 family members. The New Philadelphia Historic District, which consists of archeological features within the 40-acre original townsite, was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 16, 2009.
Contact Information
Tokey Boswell, Chief of Planning and ComplianceInterior Regions 3, 4, and 5
tokey_boswell@nps.gov