Efforts are being made in Chadds Ford to preserve the site of a historic Black church and cemetery known as Archie’s Corner, writes Madeleine Wright for CBS News Philadelphia.
Drones have been mapping the ruins, guided by anthropological archaeologist Jason Herrmann, with the University of Pennsylvania.
“Archie’s Corner is really special in that not only do we have this African American cemetery, which is a record of this community, but then we have the intersections with the Wyeth family,” Herrmann said.
Archie’s Corner was founded in 1891 by a trailblazing preacher, the Rev. Lydia Archie. The congregation became the heart of Chadds Ford’s Black community and was featured in dozens of paintings by Andrew Wyeth.
The church fell into disrepair after Rev. Archie’s death. She and other parishioners are buried in the church’s cemetery at the site.
Chadds Ford officials are looking to restore the property, even if the church itself cannot be rebuilt. The goal is to have the site added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The hope is to restore the cemetery, mark unmarked graves, add signs, and even create a virtual reality experience so visitors can see what the church looked like.
Read more about the Wyeth family connection to Archie’s Corner at CBS News Philadelphia.
