Darby Friends Burial Ground
Darby, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
In continuous use since 1682. Land given by John Blunston, founder of Darby, who lies buried here. Also in the burial ground is the marked grave of John Bartram, noted American Botanist.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Set aside in 1682 as William Penn's Quaker colony was taking root, the Darby Friends Burial Ground has received the dead of this community without interruption for well over three centuries. The land was donated by John Blunston, an English Quaker who founded Darby and rests here himself. The grounds also hold the grave of John Bartram, the largely self-taught colonial botanist whose plant collecting and famous garden near Philadelphia earned him fame on both sides of the Atlantic.
Why it matters
A living link to the earliest Quaker settlement of Pennsylvania, this burial ground shelters the grave of John Bartram, often called the father of American botany.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Bridgette Mayer6.2 mi away · 709 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Congress Hall6.3 mi away · Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Hall6.4 mi away · 520 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Hill-Physick House6.4 mi away · 321 South 4th Street
- African American Museum in Philadelphia6.4 mi away · 701 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Liberty Bell Center6.4 mi away · 526 Market Street, Philadelphia
Attractions
- American Bandstand3.7 mi away
- Philadelphia Zoo5.0 mi away
- Commandant's Quarters5.0 mi away
- Pennsylvania Railroad, Connecting Railway Bridge5.2 mi away
- Rocky Steps5.4 mi away
- The Universal Sphere5.5 mi away
Food & drink
- Talula's Garden6.2 mi away · 210 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
- Talula's Daily6.2 mi away · 208 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
- Fat Salmon6.2 mi away · 719 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Munchie’s Cafe6.2 mi away · 728 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Maya's Pizza & Grill6.2 mi away · 716 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Philly Pretzel Factory6.2 mi away
Places to stay
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia Center City5.6 mi away · 237 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Cambria Hotel Philadelphia Downtown - Center City5.7 mi away · 219 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Fairfield Inn & Suites5.7 mi away · 261 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Holiday Inn Express5.7 mi away · 1305-11 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Alexander Inn5.8 mi away · 301 301 South 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Philadelphia, PA
- Residence Inn Philadelphia Center City5.8 mi away · 1 East Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA
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Related people
- · John Blunston
- · John Bartram
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Lower Swedish Cabin
Upper Darby, PA · est. 1989
This modest log structure is the last survivor of several cabins that once lined Darby Creek, built by Swedish colonists who settled the lower Delaware Valley after New Sweden was founded in 1638. Its notched-log construction is a direct link to that short-lived Scandinavian colony, whose building style influenced American frontier architecture. Centuries later the cabin found a second life as a film set, used by Philadelphia motion-picture pioneer Siegmund Lubin for several movies before 1910.
Eddie Lang
Philadelphia, PA · est. 1995
Born Salvatore Massaro in 1902, Eddie Lang grew up in this part of Philadelphia and grew into the musician often called the "Father of Jazz Guitar." A gifted soloist, he brought the guitar forward as a serious jazz voice, working alongside violinist Joe Venuti, bandleader Paul Whiteman, the Dorsey brothers, and others in the freewheeling music scene of the 1920s and early '30s. He was serving as Bing Crosby's accompanist when his sudden death in 1933 cut short a brilliant career.
The Slinky Toy
Clifton Heights, PA · est. 2019
A coiled steel spring that could "walk" down stairs became one of the twentieth century's most beloved toys — and it was made right here. Richard James stumbled onto the idea in 1943, his wife Betty gave it the name Slinky, and James Industries manufactured it in Clifton Heights for decades. When Richard walked away in 1960 and left a nearly bankrupt firm to Betty, she rebuilt it into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, later earning a place in the Toy Industry Hall of Fame.
Sellers Hall
Upper Darby, PA · est. 1985
Built around 1684, Sellers Hall was the first permanent home in Upper Darby, raised by Samuel Sellers and his bride Anna Gibbons in the earliest days of Penn's colony. The family became famous for its bent toward mechanics and science across generations. One son, John Sellers, helped found the American Philosophical Society and in 1769 joined the celebrated observation of Venus crossing the face of the sun.