AT A GLANCE
Why go?
The Burholme Memorial for Peace is a neighborhood war memorial at the busy intersection of Cottman Avenue and Whitaker Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. More than a stone marker, it carries the names of residents who served in World War II and the Vietnam War across Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps panels, and closes with a plea for national unity borrowed from George Washington. Set on the corner of a recreation center, it is a small, free-to-visit place of remembrance rather than a tourist attraction.↗↗↗
Its interest lies in how personal it is: the engraved rosters read like a roll call of one Philadelphia community's service, listing names, ranks and often the age at which each person served. For locals with family from Burholme or Fox Chase, it is a tangible link to grandparents and neighbors; for any visitor, it offers a quiet pause in the middle of a commercial avenue.↗
Good to know
- Historical landmark
- 14 kmfrom Philadelphia center
- 3.0 / 52 reviews
- Philadelphia
What the memorial honors
The memorial commemorates the men and women of the surrounding Philadelphia neighborhoods who served in two of America's defining conflicts of the twentieth century. Its panels are organized by branch of service, and the inscribed names give rank and often the age at which each person served—young Marines and soldiers of nineteen and twenty years old alongside a few older enlistees. This makes the monument a human record rather than an abstract tribute.
