Lazaretto Quarantine Station
Tinicum Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
A rare surviving example of a quarantine station, the Lazaretto was the introduction to America for many immigrants. Established in 1799 in reaction to a yellow fever epidemic, it operated until 1893 to inspect cargo and passengers for infectious diseases. Affected cargo was fumigated or destroyed and ill passengers were hospitalized and quarantined until recovery or death. The cemetery was here and original structures remain nearby.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Established in 1799 after a devastating yellow fever epidemic, the Lazaretto stood as Philadelphia's line of defense against imported disease. For nearly a century, ships bound for the port stopped here first so that cargo could be inspected or fumigated and passengers examined; the sick were hospitalized and held until they recovered — or died. For countless arriving immigrants, this quarantine station was their very first taste of America.
Why it matters
One of the rare surviving quarantine stations in the country, the Lazaretto marks an early chapter in America's long effort to balance public health, commerce, and the welcome of newcomers.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Bridgette Mayer9.8 mi away · 709 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Hill-Physick House9.8 mi away · 321 South 4th Street
- Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial9.8 mi away
- Congress Hall9.9 mi away · Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Hall9.9 mi away · 520 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Powel House9.9 mi away · 244 South 3rd Street
Attractions
- Commandant's Quarters6.9 mi away
- American Bandstand8.1 mi away
- Italian market9.2 mi away · Christian Street
- One Liberty Observation Deck9.3 mi away
- Philadelphia Zoo9.4 mi away
- The Universal Sphere9.4 mi away
Food & drink
- Talula's Garden9.7 mi away · 210 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
- Talula's Daily9.7 mi away · 208 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
- Fat Salmon9.8 mi away · 719 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Cafe Walnut9.8 mi away · 703 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Maya's Pizza & Grill9.8 mi away · 716 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Munchie’s Cafe9.8 mi away · 728 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
Places to stay
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia Center City9.3 mi away · 237 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Fairfield Inn & Suites9.3 mi away · 261 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Cambria Hotel Philadelphia Downtown - Center City9.3 mi away · 219 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Alexander Inn9.4 mi away · 301 301 South 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Philadelphia, PA
- Holiday Inn Express9.4 mi away · 1305-11 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Residence Inn Philadelphia Center City9.6 mi away · 1 East Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Related events
- · Yellow fever epidemic of 1793
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Governor Printz Park
Tinicum Township, PA · est. 1948
On this low island in the Delaware, Swedish colonists founded New Sweden's foothold in 1643, the first permanent European settlement in what is now Pennsylvania. Here stood the Printzhof, the fortified residence and capitol of Governor Johan Printz, the imposing leader who governed the tiny colony. Though New Sweden was short-lived, this ground marks where organized European settlement in Pennsylvania began, decades before William Penn's arrival.
Tinicum
Tinicum Township, PA · est. 1947
In 1643 Colonel Johan Printz, the imposing governor of New Sweden, established his seat at Tinicum, founding what is recognized as the first permanent European settlement in present-day Pennsylvania. For a dozen years the Swedish colony held this ground along the Delaware, until the wider contest for the river swept it away — first to the Dutch in 1655, then to the English in 1664. Tinicum's brief Swedish chapter left a lasting mark on the region's earliest colonial identity.
Morton Homestead
Prospect Park, PA · est. 1966
This riverside homestead was begun around 1654 by Morton Mortonson, part of the Swedish and Finnish settlement of New Sweden along the Delaware, and it is among the oldest European-built structures in the region. The family line ran forward to John Morton, the Pennsylvania delegate who cast a decisive vote and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Morton Morton House
Norwood, PA · est. 2019
Long before there was a United States, Swedish colonists settled the lower Delaware Valley as part of New Sweden. This house, raised around 1750, was built by a great-grandson of that pioneer line — kin to John Morton, the Delaware County farmer whose vote helped carry Pennsylvania for independence in 1776. Its walls tie a quiet borough to the region's earliest European roots.