Free Frank McWorter (c. 1777 – September 7, 1854) was an American born into slavery who bought his freedom in Kentucky and in 1836 founded the town of New Philadelphia in Illinois; he was the first African American to plat and register a town, and establish a planned community in the United States.

As an adult, in his spare time, after completing work for his enslaver (and father), Frank was allowed to use a cave to gather and prepare for sale saltpeter, a natural ingredient for gunpowder.

Over several decades, McWorter and his estate spent about $500,000 (in 2021 dollars) to buy the freedom of some 15 to 22 enslaved family members in Kentucky.

[2] In the late 20th century, a local history group recruited archaeologists to explore the long-abandoned Illinois town site.

In addition, they have trained students at summer field schools and published reports, articles, and books on the history of McWorter, his family, and his town.

[3] McWorter's descendants donated the collected 11 volumes of documentation to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in February 2008.

[citation needed] In 1795, McWhorter moved to Pulaski County, Kentucky, and took Frank to build and later manage his holdings there.

From being hired out, Frank learned business skills and earned more money than his master required him to hand over.

In 1836 Frank filed a plat to create the village of New Philadelphia on 80 acres (320,000 m2) which he had purchased from the federal government for $100 (~$2,911 in 2023).

It was the crossroads of an agricultural community and, when founded, proposed as being on the route of a planned Illinois-Michigan canal (which was never built.)

In 1869, the first railroad was built through Pike County, bypassing New Philadelphia to the north for Baylis, which had a train station.