BARRY, Ill. (AP) — Barry Mayor Pat Syrcle’s grandparents lived about a mile down the road from the New Philadelphia site.
“As a kid, I went to New Philadelphia hundreds of times,” Syrcle said. “My granddad would talk about it a little bit. Occasionally we’d get on his Ford tractor and go over to the cemetery. My mother went to school at New Philadelphia.”
The family connections nurtured a long-standing interest in the community, the first platted by an African-American.
The New Philadelphia Association formed in 1996 to present an accurate picture of Free Frank McWorter, his community and his times. Syrcle joined the group, now serving as its treasurer, and has seen the impact of its effort to spur a closer look at the site.
“I don’t know that we ever thought back in the beginning that archaeologists would actually be there someday, but when the first one of those (surveys) was done, the amount of stuff found was phenomenal that first year. That just heightened the interest even more,” Syrcle said.
Archaeological work began a decade ago with the association’s request for help to preserve and interpret the long-abandoned town site. Initial surveys followed by two field schools supported by the National Science Foundation’s program of Research Experiences for Undergraduates proved what people like Syrcle already knew.
“Archaeological research begun at New Philadelphia in 2002 confirmed local residents’ long-held belief that the integrated town founded by Frank McWorter was an exceptional place,” said Charlotte King, who worked at field schools at the site and coordinated and drafted the historic landmark nomination. “Designation as a National Historic Landmark in 2009 affirmed the historic town site’s extraordinary national significance.”
The long-range goal calls for the site to become part of the National Park Service.
“As a unit of the National Park Service, New Philadelphia will inspire current and future generations for its representation of ideals treasured by all Americans — freedom and opportunity for advancement,” King said.
Legislation seeking a feasibility study for national park status has been introduced, but “it’s probably not going to happen this year,” New Philadelphia Association President Phil Bradshaw said. “We have good support for it, but the financial constraints are so tight right now, it’s hard to get government to look at it.”
In the meantime, a pledge of $7,500 a year for 10 years from Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative is funding improvements at the site, including a visitor kiosk, a walking trail and landscaping. The Marvin J. and Thomas Leo Likes Memorial Lecture Series is being held this month.
Chris Fennell, a field school director and associate professor, director of graduate studies and associate head of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois, said continued exploration uncovered “additional remains of the residences and business operations conducted there in the 19th century.”
He said new initiatives of geoscience studies and aerial “LiDAR” laser surveys of the town site and surrounding landscape provided more details to aid ongoing research. Archaeologists and historians are also collaborating now with local and descendant community members to develop exhibits to convey the stories of New Philadelphia.
Paul Shackel, director of the Center for Heritage Resource Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, led the first field schools at the site and has seen growing community support for the project, coupled with community healing.
“When we did the original survey in 2002, on occasion, people would drive by and tell us to go home. After a few years on the project, people were stopping by the site to find out more about their community history,” he said. “There was a noticeable change in community acceptance of the project.”
