Historic Fair Hill Adds Green Space to North Philly

by Kerry Roeder, for the Shuttle

August 1, 2025

One of the Co-op’s newest working membership partners, Historic Fair Hill in North Philly, has evolved from a neglected Quaker burial ground that became a dumping ground into a vibrant center for education, action and healing, thanks to the efforts of Friends and neighbors over the last 30 years. Rooted in social justice, we combat food insecurity, provide access to green spaces and promote early literacy in one of Philadelphia’s most underserved neighborhoods. 
Our work began when Friends and neighbors came together in the early 1990s ‘90s to restore and reclaim the grounds where abolitionists and women’s rights activists had been laid to rest a century before. The burial grounds contain the final resting places of the founder of Quakerism, the president of the Underground Railroad, organizers of the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, and countless other reformers, but much of our history had been forgotten. In addition, a new generation of leaders — volunteers, block captains, reading captains and community organizers — have made their presence felt on the property.
We use this rich history as an inspiration and throughline to our work today. The site now serves as a community gathering place, an outdoor classroom and a certified arboretum. The 150 trees on the property help reduce temperatures in the neighborhood, and our gardens produce thousands of pounds of vegetables that we distribute for free at our weekly farmstand. We also maintain a native pollinator garden, fruit orchard and four satellite gardens. 
Spending time outdoors among greenery and trees has proven to have a positive influence on social and personal health and well-being, especially for residents of urban areas. As one of the few green spaces in Fairhill, we take this responsibility seriously. It’s an honor to open our grounds to serve as a much-needed backyard and place of respite for our neighbors. Over the last  year, we welcomed more than 750 neighbors during 30 Family Fun Days and hosted two major festivals – our annual Reading Promise Festival and a new Health and  Wellness Festival. We hosted 50 nature field trips for students from 13 local schools, led 50 garden class visits at our school gardens, and supported two weekly after-school garden clubs  at our partner schools.
As an organization with a history connected to abolition, we are also deeply committed to protecting the right to read and expanding access to literacy. In response to the district’s current lack of funding for school libraries, we’ve helped reopen and currently staff four public school libraries that serve over 2,000 children weekly and circulate more than 40,000 books each year. 
In addition to operating the libraries, our literacy work includes volunteer reading buddies, bilingual family workshops, author visits and book giveaways at schools and community events. Hiring bilingual moms from partner schools as literacy assistants allows for additional support in the classrooms and ensures that  family voices are represented and empowered.
Increasingly, our literacy and gardening work intersect. We lead read-alouds in the gardens, incorporate movement and mindfulness into story times and highlight books focused on community gardening, nature and healthy eating. In the summers, we host “Wondrous Wednesdays” — weekly literacy-rich days each week for families — on the grounds.
Throughout all of our work, we are inspired by the legacy of those laid to rest at Fair Hill, the dedication of volunteers who restored it and the strength of our neighbors who continue to shape it. We’re grateful to welcome the Co-op into this continuing story as we work alongside our community to advance food justice, care for the land and promote environmental stewardship. 
Kerry Roeder is executive director of Historic Fair Hill. For more information, go to historicfairhill.com.