St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia
Encyclopedia
St. Peter's Church is a historic church located on the corner of Third and Pine Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. It opened for worship on September 4, 1761 and served as a place of worship for many of the United States Founding Fathers during the period of the Continental Congresses. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1996. The church remains an active parish, worshiping on Sundays at 9am and 11am. The current rector is the Rev. Ledlie Laughlin.
was becoming overcrowded. About 60 parishioners organized themselves into a committee, headed by Colonel Jacob Duché, Sr.
, to build a new church.
St. Peter's was founded in 1758 in newly settled Society Hill
with the first service held on September 4, 1761. The land used was donated in 1757 by Governor Thomas
and Richard Penn
, sons of William Penn. The Penn family coat of arms can be seen above the wine-glass pulpit and sounding board. St. Peter's was designed by Scottish architect/builder Robert Smith
, who designed other noted buildings of the day, among them Carpenters' Hall
and the tower of Christ Church in Philadelphia, and Nassau Hall
at Princeton University
. Much of the £5,000 expense needed to build St. Peter's was raised by lottery.
, rector of both churches from 1779 until his death in 1836, was chaplain to the U.S. Congress during the Revolution, founder of the Episcopal Church in 1784, its first presiding bishop and first bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
Most of the church remains as it was in the eighteenth century. Smith designed it in the mid-Georgian auditory style, with the classical lines and clear glass windows of the Age of Reason. The pulpit and lectern are set at the opposite end of the aisle from the altar, projecting into the congregation, in order to focus attention on the Word of God, a reflection of the religious thought of the day. The original high-backed box pews, including Mayor Samuel Powel
's box which George and Martha Washington often frequented, were designed to retain heat in winter. With the advent of central heating, many churches removed their box pews, but since St. Peter's services are conducted at both ends of the church, the original arrangement has been kept. The tower and steeple, designed by renowned Philadelphia architect William Strickland, were added in 1842 to house a chime of eight bells donated by Benjamin Chew Wilcocks and cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
in London where the Liberty Bell came from. Slaves and servants of members sat on hard benches at the west end of the gallery. One of these slaves, Absalom Jones
, became a highly respected leader of the original African-American community of Philadelphia, founded the first African-American Episcopal Church, the African Church of St. Thomas, in 1794 and was the first black Episcopal priest.
, Stephen Decatur
, Vice President George Mifflin Dallas, John Nixon, Captain Gustavus Conyngham
, Eliza Lucas Pinckney, Samuel Fraunces
, and the Chiefs of eight American Indian
tribes who were stricken with smallpox
while visiting Philadelphia in 1793 to meet with President George Washington
.
George Washington was a regular worshiper and had a pew here during his time spent in Philadelphia for the Continental Congress.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It opened for worship on September 4, 1761 and served as a place of worship for many of the United States Founding Fathers during the period of the Continental Congresses. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1996. The church remains an active parish, worshiping on Sundays at 9am and 11am. The current rector is the Rev. Ledlie Laughlin.
Founding and erection
By the mid-1750s, Philadelphia's Christ ChurchChrist Church, Philadelphia
Christ Church is an Episcopal church located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1695 by members of the Church of England, who built a small wooden church on the site by the next year. When the congregation outgrew this structure some twenty years later, they decided to erect a new...
was becoming overcrowded. About 60 parishioners organized themselves into a committee, headed by Colonel Jacob Duché, Sr.
Jacob Duché, Sr.
Colonel Jacob Duché was a mayor of Philadelphia in the colonial province of Pennsylvania.Duché was born in Philadelphia, the son of Anthony Duché , a French Huguenot who came with his wife to America in the same ship as William Penn in about 1700. He was appointed a colonel of the militia...
, to build a new church.
St. Peter's was founded in 1758 in newly settled Society Hill
Society Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Society Hill is a neighborhood in the Center City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The neighborhood, loosely defined as bounded by Walnut, Lombard, Front and 7th Streets, contains the largest concentration of original 18th- and early 19th-century architecture of any place in...
with the first service held on September 4, 1761. The land used was donated in 1757 by Governor Thomas
Thomas Penn
Thomas Penn was a son of William Penn, founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony that became the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Thomas Penn was born in Bristol, England after his father returned there in 1701 because of financial difficulties...
and Richard Penn
Richard Penn, Sr.
Richard Penn was a proprietary and titular governor of the province of Pennsylvania and the counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex on the Delaware River....
, sons of William Penn. The Penn family coat of arms can be seen above the wine-glass pulpit and sounding board. St. Peter's was designed by Scottish architect/builder Robert Smith
Robert Smith (architect)
Robert Smith was a Scottish-born American architect who was based in Philadelphia. Smith's work includes buildings such as Carpenters' Hall, St. Peter's Church, and the steeple on Christ Church—constituted the greater part of the city's early skyline.-Early life:Smith was born in Dalkeith Parish,...
, who designed other noted buildings of the day, among them Carpenters' Hall
Carpenters' Hall
Carpenters' Hall is a two-story brick building in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that was a key meeting place in the early history of the United States. Completed in 1773 and set back from Chestnut Street, the meeting hall was built for and is still owned by the...
and the tower of Christ Church in Philadelphia, and Nassau Hall
Nassau Hall
Nassau Hall is the oldest building at Princeton University in the borough of Princeton, New Jersey . At the time it was built in 1754, Nassau Hall was the largest building in colonial New Jersey. Designed originally by Robert Smith, the building was subsequently remodeled by notable American...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. Much of the £5,000 expense needed to build St. Peter's was raised by lottery.
Early history and architecture
St. Peter's and Christ Church were run jointly until 1832. William WhiteWilliam White (Bishop of Pennsylvania)
The Most Reverend William White was the first and fourth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA , the first Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania , and the second United States Senate Chaplain...
, rector of both churches from 1779 until his death in 1836, was chaplain to the U.S. Congress during the Revolution, founder of the Episcopal Church in 1784, its first presiding bishop and first bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
Most of the church remains as it was in the eighteenth century. Smith designed it in the mid-Georgian auditory style, with the classical lines and clear glass windows of the Age of Reason. The pulpit and lectern are set at the opposite end of the aisle from the altar, projecting into the congregation, in order to focus attention on the Word of God, a reflection of the religious thought of the day. The original high-backed box pews, including Mayor Samuel Powel
Samuel Powel
Samuel Powel was a colonial and post-colonial mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1759 from the College of Philadelphia . He served as mayor from 1775–1776 and 1789–1790, the office having lain vacant in the interim...
's box which George and Martha Washington often frequented, were designed to retain heat in winter. With the advent of central heating, many churches removed their box pews, but since St. Peter's services are conducted at both ends of the church, the original arrangement has been kept. The tower and steeple, designed by renowned Philadelphia architect William Strickland, were added in 1842 to house a chime of eight bells donated by Benjamin Chew Wilcocks and cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
in London where the Liberty Bell came from. Slaves and servants of members sat on hard benches at the west end of the gallery. One of these slaves, Absalom Jones
Absalom Jones
Absalom Jones was an African-American abolitionist and clergyman. After founding a black congregation in 1794, in 1804 he was the first African-American ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church of the United States...
, became a highly respected leader of the original African-American community of Philadelphia, founded the first African-American Episcopal Church, the African Church of St. Thomas, in 1794 and was the first black Episcopal priest.
Famous members and interments
Some of the notable people interred in St. Peter's churchyard are: Charles Willson PealeCharles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale was an American painter, soldier and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, as well as establishing one of the first museums....
, Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...
, Vice President George Mifflin Dallas, John Nixon, Captain Gustavus Conyngham
Gustavus Conyngham
Gustavus Conyngham was born in County Donegal, Ireland, and was a merchant sea captain, officer in the Continental Navy and a privateer....
, Eliza Lucas Pinckney, Samuel Fraunces
Samuel Fraunces
Samuel Fraunces was the owner/operator of Fraunces Tavern in New York City. During the American Revolution, he provided for prisoners held during the British occupation, and may have been a spy for the American side...
, and the Chiefs of eight American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes who were stricken with smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
while visiting Philadelphia in 1793 to meet with President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
.
George Washington was a regular worshiper and had a pew here during his time spent in Philadelphia for the Continental Congress.
External links
- Official Website
- Famous interments at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...