Christ Church is an
Episcopal church in the
Old City neighborhood of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1695 as a parish of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
, it played an integral role in the founding of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. In 1785, its rector,
William White, became the first
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
History
Christ Church was founded in 1695 by members of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
, who built a small wooden church on the site by the next year. In 1700, Evan Evans traveled from Wales to become their rector.
When the congregation outgrew the original building twenty years after its construction, they decided to erect a new church, the most sumptuous in the
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were the British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America which broke away from the British Crown in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and joined to form the United States of America.
The Thirteen C ...
. The main body of the church was constructed between 1727 and 1744, and the steeple was added in 1754, making it the tallest building in the future United States, at . Christ Church is considered one of the nation's most beautiful surviving 18th-century structures, a monument to colonial craftsmanship and a handsome example of
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarchs of the House of Han ...
. Modeled on the work in London of
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...
,
it features a symmetrical, classical façade with arched windows and a simple yet elegant interior with fluted columns and wooden pews. Although the architect of the church is unknown, its construction was supervised by John Kearsley, a physician, who was likely also responsible for the design, possibly with John Harrison.
[, p.40] The church was rebuilt in 1777 by Robert Smith, and the interior was altered in 1883 by
Thomas Ustick Walter.
The baptismal font in which
William Penn
William Penn ( – ) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quakers, Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonization of the Americas, British colonial era. An advocate of democracy and religi ...
was baptized is still in use at Christ Church; it was sent to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
in 1697 from
All Hallows-by-the-Tower in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. Another baptismal font and the communion table were crafted by Philadelphia cabinetmaker
Jonathan Gostelowe, who served on the vestry in the 1790s.
Christ Church's congregation included 15 signers of the
Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...
.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
leaders who attended Christ Church include
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
,
Robert Morris,
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...
and
Betsy Ross (after she had been read out of the Quaker meeting house to which she belonged for marrying John Ross, son of an assistant rector at Christ Church).
Brass plaques mark the pews where these individuals once sat. At the convening of the
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates of twelve of the Thirteen Colonies held from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia at the beginning of the American Revolution. The meeting was organized b ...
in September 1774, Rector
Jacob Duché was summoned to
Carpenters' Hall to lead the opening prayers. During the war, the
Reverend William White (1748–1836), rector of Christ Church, served as Chaplain to both the
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...
and the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
.
In September 1785, clerical and lay deputies from several states met in Christ Church and organized as a general convention, of which White was chosen president. He prepared a draft constitution for the church as well as an address to the archbishops and bishops of the Church of England, asking for the episcopate at their hands. White was also largely responsible for the liturgy and offices of the first American
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the title given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer (1549), fi ...
, published in 1789, which were to be submitted to Church of England authorities. At the convention of the Diocese of Pennsylvania in 1786, he was elected its first bishop and sailed for England with Dr.
Samuel Provoost of New York, seeking consecration. After passage of a special enabling act by Parliament, White and Provoost were consecrated in early 1787 by the archbishops of Canterbury and York.
Bishop White returned to Philadelphia that Easter Sunday. In 1789, under White's direction, the first meeting of the
House of Bishops
The House of Bishops is the third House in a General Synod of some Anglican churches and the second house in the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. was held at Christ Church, marking the first true
General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. White was the first Episcopal Bishop of Pennsylvania and served the congregations of Christ Church and
St. Peter's Church for decades. White is buried in the church's chancel.
Christ Church is a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
and a unique historic site that continues its original function as an Episcopal parish. More than 250,000 tourists visit the church each year.
Notable interments
Several notable people are buried in the church and adjacent churchyard, including:
*
Jacob Broom (1752–1810), signer of the
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...
from
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
*
Pierce Butler (1744-1822), signer of the
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...
from
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
*
Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson (1739–1801), poet and writer
*
John Forbes (1710–1759), British commander during the
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
, who captured
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne ( , ; originally called ''Fort Du Quesne'') was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. It was later taken over by the British, and later the Americans, and developed ...
, was an advocate for
Native Americans, and named the city of
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
*
Andrew Hamilton (1676–1741), lawyer known as "The Philadelphia Lawyer"
*
Charles Lee (1731–1782),
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
major general during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
*
Robert Morris (1734–1806), signer of the
Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...
, the
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, officially the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement and early body of law in the Thirteen Colonies, which served as the nation's first Constitution, frame of government during the Ameri ...
, and the
U.S. Constitution
*
John Penn (1729–1795), governor and proprietor of the
Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn, who received the land through a grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania was derived from ...
*
James Wilson (1742–1798), signer of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution,
and
U.S. Supreme Court associate justice
*
William White (1748–1836), rector of Saint Peter Church and Christ Church, first Episcopal Bishop of Pennsylvania, and first and fourth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
Other notable people are buried at nearby
Christ Church Burial Ground, which is associated with Christ Church, including
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...
and four other signers of the Declaration of Independence.
File:"Worldly Folk" Questioning Chimney Sweeps and Their Master before Christ Church, Philadelphia MET ap42.95.15.jpg, ''Questioning Chimney Sweeps before Christ Church'', a portrait by John Lewis Krimmel
3g10298 GeneralWashingtonatChristChurc.jpg, ''General Washington at Christ Church'', a portrait of George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
by J.L.G. Ferris
Second Street north from Market Birch's Views Plate 15.jpg, Plate 15 from '' Birch's Views of Philadelphia'', painted in 1800
Christ Church, Philadelphia, Pa..jpg, ''Christ Church, Philadelphia'', an 1811 portrait by William Strickland
Christ Church Philadelphia 1876.jpg, Christ Church ()
Christ Church (interior). Philadelphia, Penn'a, by Cremer, James, 1821-1893.png, Interior from Christ Church's balcony ()
Our Philadelphia (Pennell, 1914) p057.jpg, ''Christ Church Interior'', , by Joseph Pennell; Gostelowe's baptismal font is in the foreground.
VIEW OF NAVE INTERIOR FROM NORTHWEST - Christ Church, 22-26 North Second Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA HABS PA,51-PHILA,7-30.tif, Interior from balcony ()
Other notable events
John Inglis was baptized here in September 1744.
John Harris Jr. was baptized here on September 22, 1728.
See also
*
*
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Center City, Philadelphia
*
List of burial places of justices of the Supreme Court of the United States
References
External links
*
*
*
Christ Episcopal Churchyardat
Find a GraveDigitized historical documents from Christ Church
{{Authority control
Cemeteries in Philadelphia
Churches in Philadelphia
Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia
1695 establishments in Pennsylvania
Religious organizations established in 1695
Episcopal churches in Pennsylvania
Historic American Buildings Survey in Philadelphia
National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania
18th-century Episcopal church buildings
Georgian architecture in Pennsylvania
Old City, Philadelphia
Churches completed in 1744
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania