The Church of the New Jerusalem was a former nineteenth-century

Swedenborgian The New Church (or Swedenborgianism) is any of several historically related Christian denominations that developed as a new religious group, influenced by the writings of scientist and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772). Swedenborgian or ...

church located in downtown

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

at 22nd and Chestnut Streets. The church was erected in 1881 to designs by Theophilus Parsons Chandler. When the congregation diminished, the church closed in the mid-1980s, and the structure was reused in 1989 as office space. The

National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...

profiled the structure as a good example of

adaptive reuse Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an existing building for a purpose other than which it was originally built or designed for. It is also known as recycling and conversion. Adaptive reuse is an effective strategy for optimizing the o ...

: "The congregation worked closely with the buyer of the property, the Preservation Fund, and the

Philadelphia Historical Commission The Philadelphia Register of Historic Places (PRHP) is a register of historic places by the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Buildings, structures, sites, objects, interiors and districts can be added to the list. Criteria According to the Phila ...

to devise a design that would be sensitive to the historic fabric." The project "added two floors for office space and enclosed the interior space facing the chancel with a floor to- ceiling glass wall. Updated

HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...

, electrical systems, and emergency equipment installed." "In an area of many churches, the successful conversion to office space was a welcome sight for many of the neighbors who had feared an abandoned church building." The 1990 conversion by Mark B. Thompson Associates into of executive office space with room for expansion for Graduate Health System Corporate Headquarters, and later occupied by the advertising agency

The Weightman Group ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

, which is also gone. "Two balconies were added in four of the six bays, leaving the altar area an unchanged space for reception. A glass curtain wall was inserted in the interior to define the space and keep noise down. Additionally, a large spiral staircase and an elevator were placed to give access to all levels."

Partners for Sacred Places Partners for Sacred Places is an American non-sectarian, non-profit organization whose mission is the support of older and historic sacred places by helping congregations and local communities sustain and actively use the structures. Founded in 1 ...

, "Adaptive Re-Use for Institutional Use," (accessed 4 May 2008).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Jerusalem, Church Of The Swedenborgian churches in Pennsylvania Churches in Philadelphia Churches completed in 1881 19th-century Swedenborgian church buildings Victorian architecture in Pennsylvania Center City, Philadelphia 1881 establishments in Pennsylvania