Preservation of  family vaults in the burial ground

     On July 16th work began on inspecting and repairing the twenty family vaults in the middle of the Christ Church Burial Ground. This unique area, called "the allee" has family markers all dating from 1810-1835.  Each vault is 36' deep and holds the remains of anywhere from two to 25 individuals.

   A few month ago a crack was noticed on the side of the Peterson family vault. After removing the lid of the damaged vault, it was discovered that tree roots were invading the sides of the vault lid and causing the bricks to collapse into the crypt. It was determined that all 20 vaults should be inspected and that work was needed to repair and preserve the Peterson and Cadwalader vaults.
 
     Work soon began on removing the tree roots from the sides of the vault row to install a bio barrier to prevent further damage from the tree roots.

      Each of the vault lids was carefully hoisted open and the 1,200 pound lids hovered above the graves as we inspected any potential structure damage to each crypt. With the light of the workmen's flashlight and the sun peering through the surrounding Holly trees we were able to take a small glimpse into the past. Many of these vaults have not been opened in a hundred years; they finally revealed the mystery of their design to the light of day. We soon determined that these brick lined individual vaults were constructed to be forty feet deep. Each had brick arches that faced in toward the center path. These vaults believed to be built in the early 1800s,  contain the remains of many  prominent Philadelphia families from that era. Some of the  notable people  in these vaults include Civil War Generals George McCall and George Cadwalader, doctor Barnabas Binney, and politicians John Cadwalader and William M. Meredith.

      After the twenty family vaults were inspected it was decided that in addition to the Peterson and Cadwalader vaults,  one additional vault needed repairs. It is amazing how well the inside of these unique structures have held up through the years. For the first time we now have a clear understanding of the insides of these vault. They were built to hold up to twenty family members in each grave, with coffins stacked on individual levels supported by wood beams, some that have collapsed over the years.

     Work is complete on the  vaults  and now the public can view one of Philadelphia's most historic and sacred burial ground in its full beauty.