{"nrhp_refnum":"87002533","name":"McWorter, Free Frank, Grave Site","other_names":["Free Frank Grave"],"category":"site","location":{"address":"Off US 36, 4 mi. E of Barry","address_restricted":false,"city":"Barry","county":"Pike County","state":"IL","lat":39.693655480000075,"lon":-90.95069895899996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-04-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Commerce","Exploration/Settlement","Social History"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A grave site in the McWorter Cemetery, a small hilltop burial ground surrounded by prairie about four to five miles east of Barry in Pike County, Illinois, where Free Frank McWorter was buried in 1854.","why_significant":"The site marks the burial place of Free Frank McWorter, a Black pioneer and entrepreneur born into slavery in 1777. Through a saltpeter business, land speculation, farming, stock raising and founding the town of New Philadelphia, he bought his own freedom and that of other family members. The nomination cites commerce, community planning, settlement and social/humanitarian significance.","narrative":"Free Frank McWorter's grave lies in a small cemetery on a hill surrounded by prairie east of Barry, Illinois, with cedar trees overhead and a wire fence around the grounds. The cemetery holds thirteen gravestones, including those of his wife Lucy and several children and grandchildren. His own stone has fallen over and needs cleaning. McWorter was born into slavery in South Carolina in 1777. While enslaved in Kentucky, he hired out his own time and ran a saltpeter works during the War of 1812. With the profits he bought his wife's freedom in 1817 and his own in 1819. Over his lifetime he purchased sixteen family members, including himself, for $15,000. He later moved to Pike County, Illinois, farmed, speculated in land, raised stock and platted the town of New Philadelphia in 1836. He died in 1854. The grave site was listed for his achievements in commerce, town planning, settlement and humanitarian work.","period_of_significance":"1812-1854","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as deteriorated but unaltered and on its original site. The gravestone has fallen over and needs cleaning, and the cemetery fence leans in places. Restoration is planned by a preservation committee.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.507436-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/9/8939/28893909/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/87002533.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893909","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Frank_McWorter_Grave_Site","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5499851"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/pike-county/mcworter-free-frank-grave-site-87002533/"}