Friends of Weccacoe Playground
History of Weccacoe Playground
Bishop Richard Allen and the Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church Trustees bought the Bethel Burying Ground in 1810. The burial place might be the first privately owned African American cemetery. The graveyard is home to the remains of more than 5,000 African American men, women, and children.
Mother Bethel AME sold the land to the City of Philadelphia in 1889 with the explicit goal of turning it into a park, even though burials stopped in 1864. The Bethel Burying Ground was located in the Southwark District, a hub for the county's free black community, at the time it was purchased. African Americans were encouraged to move in this region by the availability of black churches and reasonably priced houses, and by 1820, around 10,000 free African Americans—nearly two-thirds of Philadelphia's black population—called this area home.
Friends of Weccacoe Playground Programming
Founded in the early 2000s to be stewards of, and advocates for, Weccacoe Playground, the Friends of Weccacoe Playground maintain playground amenities, serve as a liaison to QVNA and city agencies, and coordinate programming of the playground. Friends of Weccacoe continually seek to improve the functionality, inclusiveness and attractiveness of Weccacoe Playground.
Some events include: park cleanups in association with the Courtyard Mentoring network, South Philly Tennis Association group lessons, and weekly Community Tennis.
Neighbors around the park also work together to lock the playground each night and unlock them each morning to ensure that Weccacoe remains a clean and safe space for everyone. If you are interested in helping with locking/unlocking or ever have issues accessing the park, please contact info@qvna.org.
Contact weccacoe@qvna.org to learn more or ask a question!
Contact Friends of Weccacoe Playground by email and find out how you can help!