St. James Episcopal Church Graveyard.

Southwest corner of Fourth and Market streets. Located on the southwest corner of Fourth and Market streets (Block 154), the earliest mention of St. James' Graveyard was in 1781, during the British occupation of Wilmington, although a portion of the original land was designated as a public burying ground. Interments were made here until Oakdale Cemetery was opened in 1855, and the Wilmington Town Board of Aldermen banned burials within the city limits for health reasons A number of the graves in St. James' Graveyard were moved to Oakdale, making the cemetery smaller than it once was. Cornelius Harnett (1723-1781), a Revolutionary patriot, and Thomas Godfrey (1736-1763), the father of American drama and author of the play, The Prince of Parthia, are buried here. (Also see #162)

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