Immanuel on the Green (Episcopal) is an historic church in New Castle,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, listed as a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

in the New Castle Historic District. The church is situated near the center of New Castle at the northeast end of the Green, or town common, making it a prominent local landmark and tourist attraction. Operating continuously since 1689, it is the oldest

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

parish in Delaware and the oldest continuously operating Anglican/Episcopal parish in the country. The church building was constructed between 1703 and 1708 and enlarged in 1822. The interior and roof were rebuilt following a disastrous fire in 1980.

History

Immanuel Church was founded in 1689 as the first Anglican parish in the present-day state of Delaware, which at the time was still part of

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, ...

. The first rector was the Rev. George Ross, who served from 1705 to 1708 and then from 1714 to 1754. The church itself was constructed between 1703 and 1708, with the first services taking place there even before the building was completed. The church gradually fell into disrepair after the American Revolution. In 1820, Philadelphia architect William Strickland undertook a major renovation and expansion of the building which included a new transept, bell tower, steeple, roof, and interior. The interior was remodeled in the 1850s in the Victorian style, and again around 1900 in the

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...

style. Immanuel Church caught fire on February 1, 1980 when embers from a nearby marsh fire landed on the roof. The roof, steeple, and interior of the building were completely destroyed, leaving only the exterior walls intact. Despite the severe damage, an outpouring of support from around the state that netted more than $2 million made it possible to rebuild the church. Restored to its 1822 appearance, the church was rededicated on December 18, 1982.

Architecture

The

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

listing for the New Castle Historic District describes Immanuel Episcopal Church as a "stuccoed stone, 5 bay, center aisle church with clipped gable roof, and stone and frame spire with clock". The current appearance of the building is mostly due to architect William Strickland, who was responsible for the transept and crenellated tower. The reconstructed roof, steeple, and interior also follow Strickland's design.

Cemetery

Several notable people are interred in the Immanuel Church cemetery: * Gunning Bedford, Sr., Governor of Delaware * C. Douglass Buck, U.S. Senator * John L. Gardner, Brigadier General *

George Read George Read may refer to: * George Reade (colonial governor) (1608–1671), politician, judge, and Acting Governor of Virginia Colony * George Read (American politician, born 1733) (1733–1798), lawyer, signer of Declaration of Independence and U ...

, signer of the Declaration of Independence * George Read, Jr., first U.S. Attorney for Delaware * George B. Rodney, U.S. Representative * Thomas Stockton, Governor of Delaware * Nicholas Van Dyke, Sr., Governor of Delaware * Nicholas Van Dyke, Jr., U.S. Senator * Mary Borden McKean, wife of

Thomas McKean Thomas McKean (March 19, 1734June 24, 1817) was an American lawyer, politician, and Founding Father. During the American Revolution, he was a Delaware delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association, the United ...

, 2nd Governor of Pennsylvania

References

{{authority control Churches in New Castle County, Delaware Episcopal church buildings in Delaware Cemeteries in Delaware Anglican cemeteries in the United States Buildings and structures in New Castle, Delaware Churches completed in 1708 Historic district contributing properties in Delaware 18th-century Episcopal church buildings National Register of Historic Places in New Castle County, Delaware Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware 1708 establishments in Delaware