New Philadelphia National Historic Site

National Historic Site · IL · nps.gov page

A grassy field surrounded by forest under a sunny sky with large white clouds. — View of New Philadelphia National Historic Site on a sunny day.Photo: NPS Photo

To a casual observer, New Philadelphia looked like a typical Illinois pioneer town. But a closer look revealed a unique and racially diverse community. New Philadelphia was the first US town platted and registered by an African American. A formerly enslaved man, Free Frank McWorter, founded New Philadelphia in 1836 and purchased freedom for himself and 15 family members.

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News

New Philadelphia National Historic Site Receives $25,000 Grant to Launch Community Storytelling Programs 2026-07-02
New Philadelphia National Historic Site has received a $25,000 grant from Jefferson National Parks Association’s BlueSky Opportunity Fund to support a new community-driven interpretation initiative, “Our Past, Our Voices: Building Community through Citizen Storytelling at New Philadelphia.”

Photos

Four interpretive panels mounted under a covered, open-sided kiosk overlooking a prairie landscape. — A kiosk houses several informational panels at New Philadelphia National Historic Site.Photo: NPS Photo

A mowed path through prairie. There are numbered signs along the trail. — Visitors can take a self-guided ¼-mile-long walking tour of the site using an augmented virtual reality app managed by the New Philadelphia Association. The app is available to download for electronic handheld devices, cost-free, at the kiosk.Photo: NPS

Twenty children of mixed ages and genders posing for the camera in front of a schoolhouse. — Schoolchildren at the New Philadelphia School, October 1925.Photo: Courtesy of Gerald McWorter and Kate Williams McWorter.

Historic black and white photo of an African American woman seated looking past the camera. — Lucy McWorter, Free Frank McWorter’s wife, 1800s.Photo: Courtesy of Pamela and Sheena Franklin

Park information and photos come from the National Park Service. This is not an official NPS site.