Benjamin Franklin, Superstar ("Keystone Tombstones")

When Benjamin Franklin died 20,000 mourners attended his funeral at Christ Church in Philadelphia, PA in 1790.  By way of contrast the city's entire population in 1790 was 28, 522.  And when George Washington died 9 years later only 4,000 people attended his funeral.  Franklin and his wife are buried in a rather simple grave in Christ Church Burial Ground.  Rather than a headstone there is a large flat rectangular "ledger" gravestone which reads "Benjamin and Deborah Franklin:  1790."  People to this day leave coins on the gravestone as a gift to the departed.  Roughly $4,000 to $5,000 a year in coins are left on the grave.  This money is used for upkeep of the cemetery.

There's a great new book out called "Keystone Tombstones:  Volume One" (Sunbury Press, $19.95).  It's the first of 3 planned volumes.  The authors are long-time friends Joe Farley and Joe Farrell.   Profiles of 30 "famous" Pennsylvania grave sites are in this book, which includes biographical information and stories about a wide range of notable men and women buried in Pennsylvania (the Keystone State).

Thanks to Tirdad Derakshani's article, "State of Rest, Their Stories Are Carved In Stone", in the Philadelphia Inquirer on June 14, 2012.