Why We Went There

Time Team America was excited to contribute to the research going on at New Philadelphia. The site provides a unique opportunity to explore an underrepresented aspect of American frontier history. New Philadelphia allows scholars insight into a community of blacks and whites living on equal footing before the Civil War. This research will provide an important contrast to the archaeological studies of plantation sites and contribute to our understanding of racism and the African American experience during the Antebellum Era.

The multi-year research project at New Philadelphia is a collaboration between University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Springfield, Illinois State Museum, DePaul University, University of Maryland's Center for Heritage Resource Studies, the University of Florida's Public History Program and the New Philadelphia Association. This mix of researchers includes archaeologists and historians along with descendant and local communities, all working together to better understand and preserve the history of New Philadelphia.

Time Team's mission at New Philadelphia was to search for the location of a school used by the African American community of New Philadelphia. Although there is some documentary evidence that Frank McWorter and the residents of New Philadelphia worked to establish a school and that land was set aside for the purpose, the actual location of the building is still a mystery to researchers.

While New Philadelphia was a progressive town with whites and blacks living side by side, the school district still operated under segregation. The schoolhouse built for for the town's African American children was felt to be a "small building with big symbolic importance." Like many schoolhouses of the time, it was not only used to educate children, but would have also served an important role as a community center and gathering place.

Time Team braved the floods, lightning, and millions of tiny bugs to help in the search for this important symbol of the inspiring legacy of Free Frank McWorter.