Philadelphia

Rock on! Bon Jovi Helps Fix Ben Franklin's Cracked Gravestone

New Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi donated $5,000 to the Christ Church Preservation Trust to help save the marble tablet marking founding father Ben Franklin’s grave in Old City.

A fundraising campaign to help save Benjamin Franklin's damaged gravestone at the Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia is no longer livin' on a prayer.

Rocker Jon bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea, on Tuesday donated $5,000 to the Christ Church Preservation Trust to quickly push it past its $10,000 goal.

The marble ledger tablet marking Franklin's grave at Philadelphia's Christ Church Burial Ground has developed a significant crack on top of the pitting caused by the ritual of tossing pennies onto Franklin's grave.

Thousands of coins are thrown onto the marker each year in a tribute to Franklin's adage, "a penny saved, is a penny earned."

Franklin, who died in 1790, is one of seven signers of the Declaration of Independence buried across from Independence Mall.

The trust received grants to cover most of the restoration costs. [[238427591, C]]

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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